Project Great Madness
by Kakashiz
Summary: Great Madness ficbase, dedicated to my legion. Collection of random drabbles and one-shots, as seen from Kaolin's, i.e. my viewpoint. "We are the legion, we are Great Madness!" Reaza
1. Cocktail Bash

Author's note: Inspiration hit. And this is the result. A glorious 5.5k words. May the plot bunnies do as they wish.

Note: This is a life-verse AU (alternate universe), therefore all the legion 60's are longtime Daevas over a century old. But hey, we don't age. 'Dage' here refers to Cross, and means 'big brother' in Chinese.

Dedicated to Great Madness, for being my second family, and to Bahiam, Kexypitch and Crossloki in particular, for being my guardians of sorts :D

"_We are the legion, we are Great Madness!"_ ~Reaza

Let the story begin.

**Chapter 1: Cocktail Bash**

I supposed I shouldn't have been surprised. It _was _to be expected that we would be out drinking to celebrate our legion's rise in ranking. It was almost traditional.

Not that I've ever been to a drinking party before.

Tonight was the night, and things were due to get rowdy in the Dionysia Tavern. We weren't called 'Great Madness' for nothing. I was invited, of course, as were all the newer and younger Daevas like me in the ranks of many war-hardened veterans. I hadn't played much part in the Manor runs that had brought about the promotion, but barring such things I was still a legionary of Great Madness, and I could hardly refuse when one of my favorite 'big brothers' Crossloki invited me along.

Most of the legion were already there when I arrived. I had never been in a tavern for reasons other than solely business, and even then never during drinking hours. Suffice to say that the loud, merry atmosphere and the mellow tang of alcohol in the air was a little disorientating. It must have shown on my face, for after blinking and a moment spent to regain my bearings, I spotted Kexypitch waving me over to his stretch of counter.

The sorcerer was sitting with Bahiam and Crossloki, a glass or two of colorful cocktails and mugs of beer patronizing the immediate stretch of counter before them. Kex was in his informal attire, a red silken vest adorned with silver stitching and standard black dress pants. Gold accessories decorated his get-up, dangling from various places on his vest in typical extravagant mage fashion. Bahiam was in a midnight blue trench coat with boots to match that complimented his gunmetal silver hair, his massive polearm ever strapped to his back. Bright silver buttons and a silver chain belt accented his look, as did the masquerade mask that covered one side of his face. Crossloki on the other hand was more casually dressed, a gray tee, jeans and a red scarf around his neck, with a beret-cap to top it off. I smiled, relieved. At least I wouldn't be overdressed, in my white chiton and all.

When I sat down between Bah and Cross, Kex on Bah's other side, the assassin promptly reached over and mussed my hair affectionately. It was something that annoyed me to no end, and I expected that he knew that perfectly well, judging from the devilish grin on his face.

"Hey, quit that," I laughed, batting his hand away and combing my fingers through my hair to straighten it. Bahiam smirked and ruffled my hair some more, making me squeal in protest. Kex snorted and took a swig of his beer, whereas Cross's eyes crinkled in amusement.

"So, why ain't you hanging with the ladies?" Kex inclined his head in a direction behind him, and I sat up straighter to look over Bahiam's shoulder. About a dozen women were clustered at one side of the bar, flaunting flowing evening gowns and daring cuts. I saw Aiania, Kathline, Euwyn and quite several others chatting and giggling together, wineglasses in their hands.

"As I recall, you were the one who waved me over," I retorted, grinning and reaching over to flick his forearm. Kex was gangly and small-statured, but I learnt never to judge by looks when he and Bahiam had helped me defeat Kraterr. He was a powerful mage.

"Only to save you from standing there like a little lost duckling," he teased in return, and we chuckled.

"Hey KaoKao, why don't you get something? Loosen up a little," Bahiam said after a moment, and waved the bartender over. "What do you want? Drinks on the legion."

"What? No, no wait, I can't," I protested, getting a little flustered as the bartender approached with several wineglasses. "I'm underage. No."

"It doesn't matter, Kao," Bah laughed. "No one'd ever know, and we won't breathe a word. Right Cross, Kexy?" He elbowed Cross in the ribs behind my back, earning him an exasperated look of long-suffering from the assassin, before he relaxed and smiled.

"Not a word," Cross promised, grinning.

"You're a Daeva anyways, Kao. You've got a long life ahead of you so I doubt it matters if you play naughty for a night," Kex put in cheekily. "Hmm, a naughty Kao. I kinda like that idea." He reclined in his wood-backed stool, grinning. "Ah, the sweet days of _my _youth."

"Which are long, long gone," I finished for him, snickering. "Touché, but that kinda makes you sound old."

Kex gave me a lazy wink. "I may be an old man but I'm still awesome," he declared. To demonstrate his point he pointed his index fingers at me in the shape of a gun. "Pew pew pew." He waggled his fingers at me and I promptly burst into giggles.

"Would you like anything, lords and lady?" the bartender inquired mildly.

I glanced at the boys' cocktail glasses on the table dubiously, hesitating.

"You don't have to if it really bothers you, mushu," Cross offered sympathetically. "You could always have a virgin drink."

Bah and Kex snickered in the background, but I found that rather more amusing than embarrassing. The whole affair was starting to gain the taste of a challenge, and challenges were undoubtedly rather exhilarating. Especially the sort that were easily completed given I was willing to accept it.

"No, I want to do this," I said with growing conviction. "Any suggestions, dage?"

"Shugo Wanderer would probably be a little much-"

"Much?" Bah interrupted. "That thing knocked even Shu out."

"I heard that!" Shurer yelled back from a few seats down. "I demand a rematch!"

"I'll get back to ya!" Bah yelled. Meanwhile, Kex and Cross were deep in thoughtful discussion.

"Maybe Asteria Sunburst? Or Arcada's Dusk? No, that's too strong for a first timer. Apex Rose? It won't be even entertaining, that. Or…"

Everyone paused, and turned to stare at me.

"Eracus Sunset," all three said at once. "Perfect," Kex announced. "One of that for the lady, sir."

"Will do, milord." The bartender turned to prepare the drink. It became rather unsettling then as all three of them watched me with some sort of sadistic amusement. The bartender set the cocktail before me, a vibrant rose-pink concoction streaked through with warm chrome swirls.

I picked up the glass tentatively, not missing the way three sets of male eyes remained trained on me intently. Taking a deep breath, I brought the glass to my lips and swiftly gulped down a large mouthful.

Might I say that I had _no _idea that one was supposed to sip when drinking alcohol.

The acrid burn of the liquor stung my throat, the sharp bitterness lancing up my nose making me gasp and splutter. Bah, Kex and Cross roared in laughter as I coughed, tears streaming from my eyes. My incredulous and affronted squeak of protest only made them laugh harder, tears of mirth pouring down their faces as they pounded the table, howling helplessly.

"Guys!" I spluttered, eliciting a fresh wave of laughter. "Sorry mushu," Cross choked amidst his laughter. "The look on your face… it was just… just…"

"Priceless," Kex finished, still sniggering.

I pursed my lips in mock irritation, but I found it hard to keep a straight face for long. Not long after that I was laughing along with them, and I soon found out that Eracus Sunset actually tasted okay if I sipped it slowly and let the sweet finish override the sour twist.

The night grew longer and, having overcome the first barrier, I tried several different cocktails with cheerful abandon. I didn't resent being held up by the guys, on the contrary, I actually rather enjoyed myself. At some point a shriek of laughter coming from the congregation of females made us look around to see what was so funny. Apparently they had been getting steadily tipsier, and someone decided to do an agrint transformation and dance the 'Stupid Cupid' moves from last year's hilarious Valentine theme.

Looking around, I noted the surroundings with growing amusement. Madmedic was out cold, Littlerock slumped on the counter next to him. The templar was exultantly waving his shot glass in the air in victory, before his head lolled forward and he passed out as well. Whitesage was sprawled out on one of the lounges in the corners, unconscious for completely different reasons. In his intoxication he had attempted to hit on Euwyn, and was duly rewarded with a magnificent black eye for his effort. It was beyond amusing, seeing that it was unlikely that he would remember a thing the next day. It seemed that, for a healer, Euwyn could still pack one hell of a punch. Vipermage on the other hand I expected to be having a good time, judging from the two women hovering around him, giggling and flirting.

I didn't exactly drink that much, although I couldn't say the same for my three companions. After Aion-knows-how-many rounds of drinks and champagne, Kex had passed out on the table like many others before him, snoring softly – albeit with rather less fanfare – and both Cross and Bah were roaring drunk.

"Betcha I coul' kickh yer ash," Cross slurred. "Like, righ' now."

"Pssshhh." Bah waved a hand haphazardly in the air. "I c'n takh you on any dae'." The gladiator was a smidgen less intoxicated, but at that point, I expected that the only people still sober were those that were actually trying to be, namely me and Aiania. Actually, on second thoughts, just Aiania. I still wasn't as proficient at burning off toxins (alcohol – but hey, I'm a first-timer), and my thoughts were starting to get fuzzy.

After watching Lathander belt out a rather off-tune version of 'To All The Ladies' while perched precariously on top of a table (points to him for not toppling over – even with Rurulca trying to drag him off), and a couple which I suspected to be Fikhan and Guinethe making out in a dark corner, I'd thought I was jaded to the curious and insufferably amusing effects of alcohol. But what I heard next alarmed me slightly.

"Then I chall'nge joo to a doo'," Cross drawled.

"Chall'nge accepted," Bahiam shot back, and the both of them stood up unsteadily.

"Guys, you sure about this?" I asked in concern.

"S'fine mushu." Cross waved me off. "I'll kickh hish ash and be backh in five."

"Cocky lil thingh, arn't joo?"

As they stumbled towards the exit, still bickering amicably, I shook my head in exasperation and chuckled under my breath. Those two were gonna have a hell of a hangover tomorrow. And with them dueling under the influence, they'd probably get more than just a headache. I supposed I was going to have to watch over those two to make sure they didn't kill each other by accident.

Downing the last of my Cantas Breeze, I stood up. Heat rushed to my head unexpectedly and I swayed slightly, nearly tripping over my own feet. The world spun briefly and I dug my fingers into the tabletop, waiting for everything to level out. Hell, I had to ask Euwyn or Aiania if Dispel worked on alcohol, but then again even on that tiny possibility that it could, I was hardly in the best condition to learn a new technique right now.

I left Kex to his beauty sleep on the counter and staggered outside as gracefully as I could manage. The cold night air bit into my face, sharp and waking me up ever so slightly. A little distance away, Bah and Cross were duelling fervently, blades flashing in the air, though whether or not the alcohol affected their performance I couldn't yet say.

Then, as I watched, Cross overreached with his daggers, and before he could withdraw and salvage his form Bahiam had grabbed his forearm and yanked hard, dragging him forward. There was a faint pop and Cross flinched, his dagger clattering to the ground as he slashed at Bah ferociously with his other hand, forcing the gladiator to let go and back up. Cross's left arm hung limp at his side after that, even as he fought to keep his ground against Bah's polearm with only one dagger.

Then Bahiam gave Cross a solid shoulder to the face.

Accounting for the fact that the gladiator had almost a foot on him, Bahiam's shoulder went straight into the assassin's nose. A dull crunch reached my ears. Cross yelped, dropping his other dagger, and I winced in sympathy. Normally he wouldn't have been so sloppy, I expected, but then again it was probably the alcohol. In such conditions Bah naturally had the upper hand, since his form and his way of battle were generally sturdier and required less focus and timing that Cross did. On the other hand, assassins thrive on perfect timing and deadly precision, neither of which were on his side as of the moment.

The duel was pretty much over, with the win to Bahiam, but dage had his revenge. With his one good hand clutching his nose, he twisted his body and gave Bah a solid kick on the side of his head. It offset Bahiam's already alcohol-addled balance, and with a wobble the gladiator fell over. Cross's legs didn't support him for long after that either, and down he went as well.

Bahiam was actually much better off than Crossloki, as I could see after a swift, cursory examination. Bruises, several cuts and probably a mild concussion, nothing a seasoned warrior like him couldn't handle. Cross, however, was in a practically pitiful condition. By the time I got to him, there was blood all over his face and dark smears on his tee. The assassin himself was barely conscious, muttering unintelligibly as I pulled his hand away to examine his face.

His nose was broken, smashed in by Bahiam's shoulder. Fortunately for him Bahiam wasn't wearing his armor, else he'd probably have had a fractured skull as well. As it was the force of the collision had already given him a concussion, one considerably worse than the gladiator's. I highly doubted a proficient assassin like him was accustomed to having his face smashed in. Bahiam's counter to Cross's overreach had left its consequences as well, in the form of a dislocated shoulder. Already it was beginning to swell. Throw in his being drunk, and he was going to have a hell of a morning to wake up to.

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed in frustration. I was a field medic, yes, but I found it hard to focus due to the alcohol in my blood. Asking for help wasn't really an option, since I knew that Sage and Mad were both officially out cold, Euwyn probably wasn't any better off than I was, and Aia long gone to who knows where. Resorting to simpler, and in result more time consuming methods were my only option, and for that I needed warm water, a basin, bandages, Odella powder, an ice pack. None of which I had on me.

I needed him back in my studio if I was to get anything done.

I contemplated Dage's prone form for a moment. Oriel was only accessible through teleportation, and the studio section wasn't even close to the teleportation landing point… there was _no _way I could get him that far alone.

"Kex!" I left Bah and Cross outside briefly and stumbled back in. Picking my way around tipsy crowds, I finally located the sleeping sorcerer. "Kex, wake up. I need your help."

No response.

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard. "Kex, wake _up_. I need you to make me a gate."

He mumbled something and sluggishly pushed my hand away.

"Kex. Wake up. Now."

"Too…early…Leave me alone…."

"KEX!"

He bolted upright with a yelp and promptly fell off his stool, hair mussed and eyes wide. "Whazzgoinon?"

"Bah and Cross dueled. Dage's in a pretty shitty condition right now."

"So? You're a healer, right? Go heal him." He groaned. "God, my head hurts."

I smacked him upside the head. "If I could would I have woken you?"

"Well, what do you want me to do then?"

"Make me an illusion gate to Oriel. Straight to the studio block."

Kex blinked at me. "What?"

"You heard me." I was starting to get slightly impatient. Time for a little blackmail. "Else when Dage wakes up tomorrow morning I'm pointing him and all his hung-over glory in your direction."

The sorcerer shuddered at the thought. "Gods, you're so mean." He hoisted himself to his feet with noticeable effort. "Fine. I need to get back home anyway."

He shuffled outside, with me tailing after him. When he saw Cross's bloody, mutilated face he let out a low whistle. "Bah really did a number on him, huh?"

"You could say that. Now get the gate up before I have to add 'blood loss' to Dage's list of afflictions."

"Okay, okay, don't get your royal panties in a twist." He stretched and yawned. "Here we go."

As Kex worked on forming the gate, his face screwed up in utter concentration, I knelt next to Cross. Time was of the essence, especially in regard to his shoulder. The longer I left it the worse it'd get. Slipping a hand behind his back and bracing it against his shoulder blade, I grasped the front of his shoulder with my other hand. Taking a deep breath, I pushed hard. With a faint crack his shoulder popped back into place, and I exhaled heavily. He was so going to feel that tomorrow.

"Here's your gate, Kao." Kex yawned again and sank to his haunches, rubbing his temples vigorously. "Gosh, I gotta crash right now. Don't think I even remember how to walk."

"Need any help?" I offered half-heartedly. Beside him, Bahiam was slowly sitting up, a hand pressed to his head, masquerade mask skewed.

"Nah, I'm good," Kex mumbled, then glanced at Cross. "Compared to him, anyway," he muttered under his breath, then raised his voice again. "Get him patched up, I'll see you two in the morning." With that, he promptly slumped backwards on the floor with a 'flump', dead to the world

Bahiam and I shared a look and shrugged. I felt kinda sorry for Kex, but I had more pressing matters to attend to. Squatting behind Cross, I lifted him by his upper arms, wrapped my arms around his chest and attempted to stand up. The result being that I nearly fell over, what with my impaired balance and all. That assassin _clearly _weighed more than he looked.

With difficulty I managed to get a firm grip on him and stood up halfway, his head lolling back onto my shoulder. Dragging him backwards towards the quiescently floating gate, I paused.

The gated floated about two feet in the air, and Aion forbid I be able to jump through that with Dage's added weight.

Biting back a growl of frustration, I summoned my wings. The alcohol was. Not. Helping. At all. Flapping hard, I hoisted the deadweight that was my cherished 'older brother' up inch by laborious inch, and, with a burst of energy, hauled him through the gate.

My wings gave out the moment we were through, and I dropped back on my feet heavily. Kex had dropped us right outside the studio block, exactly where I wanted. Pleased with the results, I struggled with Cross to the portal that would bring each Daeva to outside the doors of their respective studios.

Right before teleportation, I hesitated. My studio was rather shabby and plain, since I hardly spent any time trying to decorate it. Even though it wasn't like Dage hadn't seen it before, a part of me childishly insisted that he would probably prefer his own studio to mine.

Sighing, I willed us to Cross's studio. We materialized outside his door and I dropped him, being careful not to crack his head on the floor. Raising a hand to the door, I rapped my knuckles on the whitewashed wood.

"Who's there?" the squeaky voice of his butler asked.

"Kaolin. Crossloki's in a bad shape and I need to patch him up."

The door opened, and I dragged the assassin inside. _To hell with the bed_, I thought, and left him on the floor next to it.

"Get a basin and some warm water ready. An ice pack too. I'll be right back," I instructed the tiny shugo as I made my way to the relationship crystal.

"Will do, miss."

A wave of dizziness assaulted me as I stepped into my room, forcing me to stop and squeeze my eyes shut. Damned alcohol. Swallowing hard, I stumbled towards my chest-of-drawers and pawed in it for my stash of bandages and Odella powder. On second thoughts I grabbed a mana potion as well. Those things were like little energy shots, and I had no doubt that I'd need it before long.

When I arrived back in Cross's studio, the basin, water and ice that I'd asked for were there. His butler had also removed his beret-cap and scarf, and propped up his head on a pillow. The shugo lingered unobtrusively in a corner, watching silently as I set my armload next to Cross and sat down.

Jamming the ice pack on his shoulder first, I then tore off a length of bandage. Folded and dampened with warm water, I patted his face with it, carefully cleaning away the blood. Cleansed of the blood, his face looked even more grotesque, heavy bruising coloring the skin around his mangled nose. Something I could set and heal in 10 seconds flat had I been perfectly sober. As it was I could only dab spots of Odella powder around the inflamed area and concentrate deeply, carefully resetting Cross's nose, aether glowing white at my fingertips. Aion forbid I accidentally set his nose crooked, though that would be insufferably amusing.

The process took a little over 20 minutes. The Odella powder responded to my aether, speeding up the process, and once I was done with that I smeared more powder on his face and went to work on the bruising. It was getting harder and harder to focus, what with the fatigue and all, and at that point I was rather awed at Kex's ability to pull off an impeccable illusion gate, drunk as he was.

Fortunately his concussion wasn't as serious as I'd feared, although with my patchy skills as of the moment he could be sure to wake up with the mother of all headaches in the morning. Downing the mana potion, I mended the mild internal bleeding.

When I finished with that I was ready to pass out any moment. My attempt to overcome the fuzziness had been extremely draining, and I took a moment to squeeze my eyes shut and just _breathe_.

One last thing. I removed the ice pack from his shoulder and set it aside. Peeling off his now damp, cold and bloody tee and pulling it over his head, I tossed it aside and examined his shoulder. The ice pack had eased the swelling somewhat, though it was still bruised, but nothing I couldn't fix. I eased the inflammation, then sighed wearily and sat back, admiring my handiwork (and perhaps more – I'll never tell). Cross still looked rather battered, but he'd live. Reaching for the bandages, I packed it with Odella powder and rolled it over his injuries.

As I was rolling a strip of the bandage over his nose, something caught my eye. Pausing, I reached out, my fingers moving the small distance to ghost over his face, tracing the large scars that had permanently marred his handsome features. A large cross, arcing from his forehead down to his chin, miraculously missing both his eyes. His namesake, perhaps? I wondered what had caused it, and whether it symbolized something profound to him. Why hadn't he gotten it healed? Was it because he didn't want to? Or had he been unable to?

I tied off the bandages. Drawing on the last vestiges of my strength, I got up and pulled the duvet off the bed, throwing it over him. Then, finally giving in to fatigue, I collapsed onto his bed without any further thought, and was asleep within seconds.

xxx

When I opened my eyes in the morning, it took me a moment for my surroundings to register in my head. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows, and all my medical possessions were piled on the table. Cross was nowhere to be seen.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, only then discovering the duvet tangled around my body. My heart warmed. Then I remembered that I had fallen asleep _in a dress _and got myself all flustered wondering if Cross saw anything and if that was why I had the duvet over me.

Hopefully not. Hell no.

My face flaming, I got up and smoothed down my dress. A pounding headache was starting to assault me, but I healed away the stressed nerves without missing a beat. Perks of being a sober cleric. Gathering up my things from the white antique table, I took the relationship crystal back to my studio.

Dumping my things on the dresser, I washed and changed quickly into a fresh dress. Familiar as I was with my chain armor, I'd rather not have to wear the heavy thing around where and when I didn't need it. Thing wasn't easy to put on either. Reaza had taken our legion off the active roster for several days, for reasons that I could now understand. We could hardly get anything done while most of the Daevas in the legion were in conditions like these, and I doubted anyone would even want to do anything other than sleep in for the day. At times like these I was infinitely grateful for the man and his forethought.

Dragging a brush through my tangled hair, I attempted to make myself presentable as fast as I was able. Dage wasn't supposed to get out of bed, at least not until I had him properly patched up, just in case he did anything stupid and ended up worse off than he already was. Not that I had anything against him in this case. Cross had always been a willful Daeva, and besides I _had _been patronizing his bed.

Still. Duty dictated that I track him down and finish my job, even though I was a cleric and he an assassin, who would not be found if he didn't want to be.

I teleported back to his studio. The bathroom door was open, something I failed to notice earlier in my hurry to get back to my own studio, and the air was still moist. Acting on a hunch, I opened the front door. As expected Cross was there, elbows resting on the railing as he leaned on the balcony, gazing out with a distant look in his eyes.

"Dage." I knew he was aware of my presence, soft as I had opened the door, but I greeted him all the same. He wasn't wearing much, just a pair of long trousers and a white towel draped over his shoulders. He'd removed the bandages, I saw. His hair was spiky and unruly from his shower, already half-dry, and I just stared for a long moment. At the purplish bruising coloring his left shoulder blade. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. It was rather hard not to appreciate the assassin's lean, bare back.

"Mushu," he replied mutedly without turning, more an acknowledgement than anything else. I joined him at the railing, sneaking glances at him. By right he ought to be sporting a massive headache, a painful nose and a tender shoulder, and yet he showed no outward sign that he was even aware of his injuries.

"How do you feel?" I ventured, watching his face closely.

"Fine," Cross grunted shortly in reply. 'Fine' indeed. I smirked, then cast my gaze away, feigning nonchalance. "Well then," I replied tartly. "You can take aspirin for your head and an ice pack for your shoulder."

He was silent for a while, as if considering my words, then let out a faint huff, the edge of his lips twitching up into a smile. "What will I do without you," he murmured, sarcasm tingeing his tone as he smirked out into the landscape. Thoroughly enjoying the power that I had over him, slight as it was, I decided to let him suffer through his pains for a little longer. A little amusement at his expense wasn't something I was about to turn down.

We stood there in companionable silence for some time, looking out and admiring Oriel's grandeur in the late morning sun.

"Wanna duel?" I asked abruptly, breaking the silence. Cross started, then turned to fix me with a half amused, half incredulous look. "What, now?"

"Why not? Scared I might kick your ass?" I teased, bumping his shoulder amiably. Knowing satisfaction filled me as pain flickered across his expression, albeit so briefly that I nearly missed it.

"Maybe." He grinned at me, a mischievous glint in his ruby eyes. I knew him well enough to know that he was recalling the same memory that I was – the last time we dueled, the only reason why I hadn't been sent to the obelisk in five seconds flat with two stab wounds in my back was because he had been going very, _very _easy on me. I knew that, had he been going all out, I would have lost instantly without even knowing what hit me. Even now, shirtless and in considerable pain, I had no doubt that he could still face me down easily with one hand tied behind his back.

"Chicken," I grinned back, perfectly aware of the game we were playing. I admired him to no end, something he was also aware of, and I knew exactly what he wanted when he kept his intense gaze on me, lips still curled up at one end in that lopsided smirk of his.

"No," I said, as flatly as I could make it, pasting on a mock-stern expression. "Your fault, your problems."

Cross pouted ever so slightly, and the result was an expression so adorable that it was damn funny to see on the face of the usually laid-back and inscrutable assassin. It made me smile despite myself, and, smothering a laugh, I relented. "Fine." He knew I could hardly refuse him anything, especially when it was something I'd intended to do all along. Amused, I touched a finger to his temple, sending healing aether into his system. His triumphant expression only made me burst into laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation.

It was enjoyable, fun even – I was content, happy to be here, just messing around with Dage. Somewhere, Kex would probably be waking up, and he'd stay in bed if he knew what was good for him. Bahiam would probably be good as new, or at least close enough. I wondered what happened to Sage, whether Euwyn and the girls had as eventful a night as I did, and where in Atreia Aia had run off to. I'd probably never know.

Life was good.

At least, until Cross planted his hand firmly on top of my head and mussed it with a purposeful vengeance. It scattered the strands all over my face, making me shriek in laughter and indignant protest.

"DAGE!"

_~Fin~_

xxx

**A/N: **

Cross-verse towards the end, since my plot bunnies have decided they adore him, and therefore this kind of thing is what comes out xD so basically pink fluffy bunnies all over him that won't get off or leave him alone. EPIC BACKSTORY AND CROSS FANDOM ALSDJFHASDFL- no dage don't make that face. I know you're gonna make that face.

Originally I was going to have Bah and Cross draw, but then based on some information on past duels from Bah and the fact that Cross decided to enjoy messing me up (Kathline and Aia can be witnesses), I decided some editing was in order.

Credits to Latona for the cocktail and song names, they were perfect :D and also to Kex for being really supportive throughout my writing week.

Also to my RL friends AKA Leafy and Ivory for shrieking incest at me when I referred to Cross as Dage. This was kinda how it went:

_Me: So this is the draft, what do you think?_

_Friends: (reads)…This is incest._

_Me: What? No! I made sure everything was nice and fluff free-_

_Friends: INCEST_

_Me: But but there's nothing in there that-_

_Friends: INCEST_

_Me: I was very careful-_

_Friends: INCEST_

_Me: Stop-_

_Friends: INCEST_

_Me: I don't-_

_Friends: INCEST_

_Me: Hear me out ple-_

_Friends: INCEST INCEST INCEST_

_Me: I give up e.e_

And best line ever, credits once again to Latona.

_Me: Dage's so happy (for mastering cooking) that he's actually going hyper._

_(Cross delightedly telling everybody about it in the background)_

_Latona: The Man, The Myth, The Legend – slap that on his apron xD_

That, and how Cross looks holding a frying pan and a salt shaker, totally made me crack up. Made my day. Thank you Lat xD Gratz again, dage x3

Note: We fanfic writers have our own slang, so yeah. Fluff is cute lovey parts. Kaolin = fluffholic xP incest is forbidden sibling romance. Bunnies are the name we give to plot ideas.

After my editorial run over this fic I've decided that it's not exactly one of my best pieces. It's a little choppy and not as entertaining as I hoped it would be. Still, I hope you enjoyed it :D Have any comments, story requests or whatevs, leave 'em in a review, I'll look at 'em. There's the review button right down there. There will be more individual one-shots in the future.

Peace out,

Kakashiz/Kaolin


	2. Sprout Mania

A/N: Inspiration struck again, thanks to my RL friend Leafy. She keeps trying to make me eat bean sprouts. Dangling them in front of my face every time we eat together. Which is about every day.

I hate bean sprouts. Some of you might know them as Brussels or something of the sort.

Anyway, I couldn't find anything resembling a bean sprout in Aion, but nevermind. Let's just assume that there is.

Veggie-centralized, life-verse. More 'random' than 'story'. Plot bunnies, I be hating you.

'Kaolin' actually means 'white clay', hence the nickname Leafy gives me.

"_We are the legion, we are Great Madness!" _~Reaza

Story begin.

**Chapter 2: Sprout Mania**

"Claaaay eat your sprouts!"

"No!"

"Look at it! It's crying cause you don't want to eat it!"

I leaned back in my seat as far away as I could without falling off, attempting to keep my distance from the offending vegetable dangling in front of my face. Leafalemyr, otherwise known as Leafy, insistently shoved her chopsticks in front of my nose, the little white bean sprout swinging from the ends.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't. Eat. Bean sprouts?" I strained to keep my face away, my upper body balanced precariously far over the edge of the chair.

"But it tastes so gooood!" The green-haired ranger pressed a little closer, making me lean even further back, and with a yelp I fell off the chair, the piece of furniture overturning along with me.

Leafalemyr is one of my best friends, and unfortunately one who also loves teasing me to no end. Especially cases like these. I'm fine with greens, anything except bean sprouts. _Anything_. Call me picky if you want, I don't care. Just no sprouts. Please.

"To you, not to me. It's yucky." I scrambled to my feet, eyeing the bean sprout warily as Leafy advanced on me, chopsticks still in hand.

"It's not yucky! It's good for you! It'll make you grow."

"Sprouts don't contain protein or carbohydrates and therefore don't contribute to growth. Your argument is invalid."

"Well…well it gets rid of constipation!" she whined.

"It's fried, therefore the cellulose in it has been broken down and it does not have much other use than taste. Argument invalid." I smirked faintly. My medical knowledge surpassed hers, by a long shot. Cleric fistpump.

She thought for a moment, before an evil grin crept onto her face. "How about if it's steamed then? Would you eat it?"

That shut me up.

"Why do I even agree to eat with you all the time…" I muttered under my breath. Leaf loved bean sprouts. And I hated them. I supposed that, by a long shot, I could consider her actions as fraternizing with the enemy. LET'S THROW HER TO THE SPROUTS-

Leafy just giggled. "Just eat it. See, it's waiting~~" She waved her chopsticks in the air, the bean sprout swinging to and fro.

I made a face at her. "For the last time, no. Don't make me burn that thing," I said flatly.

"Aww, you're no fun. _The sprout is sad_," she declared dramatically. "Fine then." Cheerfully, she popped the much-abused vegetable into her mouth. "I'll just tell your legion about how you just looooove bean sprouts."

My jaw fell open in horror and plain shock. "You wouldn't dare."

"Ah, but I would," she shot back cheekily, her expression growing even more mischievous as she played about with her newfound, _brilliant_ idea.

My horrified mind played out all the scenarios in which Leaf announces my secret to everyone in Great Madness. Leafy's from another legion, Helios, but she generally knows some of the higher-ranking officials in my legion. I cringed as I imagined my dage Crossloki, assassin and master cook, discovering my so-called 'love' of the aforementioned vegetable. Either he'd believe Leafy and whip up a plate of it, expecting that I'd like it, or he'd get the hint and whip up a plate of it anyway, just so he could join Leafy in teasing me.

I had no doubt that Kexypitch, Bahiam, Latona and most everybody else would join in with delight. Latona would for sure. After all, that was what legions were for, weren't they?

"Okay, see ya! I have a big announcement to make~~" Leafy hopped out of her seat, grinning wide enough to almost split her face in two.

"Oh no don't you _dare_-" I started, before she vanished.

I groaned. Damn rangers and their Hide ability. This was so going to be the death of my dignity.

xxx

Legion meet-up that night, in Elyos Square. Reaza organized such meetings at least once a week, so we as a legion could talk often and mingle outside of quests and missions. Most everybody came if they were able, barring those happening to be abroad on missions at the time. That couldn't be helped, but it did make the rest of us closer as a whole.

Normally I looked forward to such meetings, but this time I absolutely dreaded it. Leaf had cheerfully informed me that her 'message' had been delivered, and told me that I was to fill her in on _everything _that happened. It was because of her great agility, _and her agility alone that prevented me from slipping my fingers around her throat and throttling her right there and then-_

Ahem. Violent tendencies aside. Yes, I was mad.

I hadn't met anyone from Great Madness in the remainder of that day, but now I was going to have to. I'd considered _not _going, but then again I couldn't hide forever. So it was with great chagrin that I dressed for the minor event.

I made my way towards Elyos Square. Swallowing nervously, I straightened my chiton and strode into the congregation with as much confidence as I could muster. People turned to see who I was, and when they caught sight of an awkwardly smiling, blue-haired cleric, most had clearly faux innocent, guileless expressions on their faces, whereas others had mischievous glints in their eyes, not even bothering with discretion.

Like Kexy, for example.

In full view of everyone else, the sorcerer sidled up to me and draped an arm over my shoulder. "So," he drawled, leading me into the sparse-ish crowd. "How's life?" Eyes followed me in silent amusement as I walked on helplessly with Kex, and I suppressed an inward cringe. They seemed like they had something planned…

"O-okay, I guess?" I stammered.

"Anything…well, you know, interesting to share?" Kex's expression was even more mischievous than it usually was. "I'd love to know."

"Uh… not really." There was a banquet table in the general center of the congregation, and that was where Kex was leading me. I saw some of my friends hanging around the table, talking and snacking on the finger food and other miscellaneous eatables arrayed on the table.

"Are you sure now?" Latona sidled up on my other side out of nowhere, with a grin to match the Cheshire Cat on her face. I swallowed again. "Y-yeah, why?"

_They knew, they knew they knew they knew and I'm so dead-_

"Oh, nothing," Euwyn answered for her, waltzing into my line of sight. "We're just interested in your week. You know, that's why we're here, right Daevas?"

A murmur of agreement went through the crowd. Scanning through the faces, I saw Bahiam, Crossloki, Whitesage, Aiania, Bigheall, Littlerock, Abrider, Lathander, Kathline and so many more… all watching me with expectant looks on their faces.

_Something's going on…Why are they all looking at me like that? Did they hatch some nefarious plot against me that involved bean sprouts? I don't like this feeling…Leafy, the next time I see you I am SO killing you…_

My mouth was dry. "What- what's going on?"

"Nothing much, really," Bahiam replied, grinning. "A little green-haired ranger from Helios just happened to fill us in on your latest culinary preferences-"

_I KNEW IT LEAF YOU ARE SO DEAD __WHEN I GET MY HANDS AROUND YOUR LITTLE NECK I SWEAR I'LL-_

"-so we decided to present you with your favorite food."

Wait, what?

Smirking, Loki produced a large plate of bean sprouts from behind his back with a flourish. "Made this especially for you, mushu. And it's steamed as well. Exactly the way you like it."

Oh. Hell. No. My worst fears were realized. They were going to feed me sprouts.

My opinion notwithstanding.

Nefarious plot indeed.

Their smiles turning evil were the only warning I had. With a panicked squeak I dived out of the way as several of them lunged at me. Breaking into a sprint, I ran out of Elyos Square for dear life with the equivalent of a full Elyos platoon hard on my heels. Roots sprang from the ground every other minute, trying to catch my ankles, and I had to jump at the last second to avoid getting my feet restrained and pitching face-forward into the ground. Not to mention having assassins on me with Sprint on was hardly a stroll in the park.

But no. No bean sprouts. Never. I'd rather do a one-man siege.

I veered sharply off-course, heading for the bridge. Panting hard, I looked back over my shoulder and became even more frantic as I saw the assassins loping along easily behind me, dage and Oscillum and the others. In a last-ditch effort, I swerved sharply and launched myself off the edge of the bridge.

Free-falling, I winched out my wings suddenly and banked steeply in another direction. Swooshes and flapping sounds told me that I wasn't alone. Most of my pursuers hadn't missed a beat, joining me in the air almost as soon as I had leveled out. It was basically a game of hunt, I realized, the prey being me. Just that the end of it wasn't death. Something much worse.

I bet they were enjoying it. Definitely enjoying it.

I folded in my wings and dived, gaining speed and rocketing downwards. To no avail. Not five seconds later Kex and Sage were flanking me, evil smirks on their faces. I broke my fall and flapped hard, pushing myself forward as fast as I could. I would _ not _eat sprouts not not NOT-

Two strong hands grabbed me firmly by my upper arms, and I whipped my head around to see both the men grinning at me. Then with a sharp jerk, they changed direction with me in tow, hauling me back towards Sanctum. I strained to free myself, but their iron grips weren't something to be trifled with. Then, with twin grunts and a swing, I was tossed towards land.

I hardly had the time to make any noise of terror for being thrown through open air like a ragdoll. A grunt of exertion came from behind me as I landed in a set of waiting arms, feathers and all, strong hands breaking my fall. All the air went out of my lungs with an 'oof' at the sudden stop. "Gotcha, koala," Bahiam quipped cheerfully. " Now if you don't mind, do me a favour and unwear your wings."

I was fully intending not to, but landing instinct kicked in and my wings melted away before I had the time to recollect my wits and do otherwise. "Thank you," the gladiator said graciously, before slinging me over his shoulder and starting to walk.

Sprouts. He was taking me to the sprouts. Nononono he can't I won't I REFUSE TO BE FORCE-FED-

I railed and squirmed and struggled, pounding my fists on Bahiam's back, but his grip was secure and I got nowhere. It was rather demeaning to be carried in such a manner, but that was hardly on my list of concerns. Being force-fed sprouts were.

When I'd finally understood that there was no escaping Bahiam's hold, I gave up and slumped against him dejectedly, resigned to my fate, my bleak destiny. THIS IS A COLD, SAD WORLD FILLED WITH PAIN AND SUFFERING AND SPROUTS-

Bahiam strode into Elyos square, and, craning my neck, I peered around my captor's arm to investigate the situation. Frankly it was horrifying. Dage holding the accursed plate of sprouts with all the poise of a master chef holding his finest creation, smirking; Osc and Ghost, a chair between them as they stood ready to pin me down. Everyone else, windswept and returning from the chase, watching the proceedings with eager enthusiasm.

I flailed with renewed vigour, and once again got nowhere. Lifting me off his shoulder, the gladiator set me on the chair and I had my upper arms pinned back by both the waiting men. Dage approached me, a fork in his hand, several bean sprouts dangling from it, mocking me. "Open up," he cooed gently like a mother would her child, except that he was wearing an evil grin on his face. The sprouts hung in front of my nose and I gave it as wide a berth as one would the apocalypse.

"Nonono I don't- I don't like this please I-" I whimpered helplessly, trying my best to avert my face and avoid the damned fork. Iron grips held me to the chair, and the horrible vegetable came closer to my face when I had nowhere else to turn.

"Eat it eat it eat it eat it eat it-" a chant rose from the onlookers enjoying the show, and I turned back to stare at the bean sprouts despairingly.

"Just eat it, and it'll all be over," Kex said comfortingly. "It's not that bad."

I glared at him, then had to go nearly cross-eyed staring at the fork right in front of me.

The background chant grew louder, egging me on.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I opened my mouth and ferociously snapped up the sprouts, chewing furiously and forcing it down. Cheers and applause filled the air as I made disgusted faces at the floor, spitting and sputtering and generally trying to get the taste out of my mouth.

"You did it Kao!" Kex cheered, slapping my back in congratulations as Ghost and Osc released me.

"We're proud of you koala," Bahiam smiled, mussing my hair.

"Never again," I gasped, but no one seemed to have heard me.

"Today we proved that bean sprouts are nothing to be afraid of!" Latona declared loudly, gaining a whoop of approval from the watching crowd. I groaned. My dignity was way down the drain and on its way to the sea right now.

"Kaolin has showed that it is possible to overcome fears with the the help of one's legion!"

I didn't recall asking for help on overcoming this matter.

"Three cheers for Kaolin!"

Gawd, Latona. Stahp. I'm embarrassed now.

When the cheers had died down, dage contemplated the giant plate of bean sprouts still in his hands, my tiny mouthful hardly having diminished it. "What will we do with this though?"

All eyes fell on me.

With a shriek I bolted off my chair. "NONONONO I DON'T WANT ANY MORE-"

~Fin~

A/N:

Boy am I glad it's impossible to send vegetables through a computer. Who knows what you guys are thinking right now. I am very, very grateful xD

Hoped you enjoyed this as well, next chapter will be more action-based and starring Bahiam ^^ stay tuned!

Peace out,

Kakashiz/Kaolin


	3. Ice, Snow and First Blood

A/N: I know you guys have been waiting for the next chapter, so here it is! ^^ Action and battlescenes as decreed by the Bunny of Drama. This piece is dedicated to Bahiam, who helped me level 30-35, and willingly helped me with stuff.

Also dedicated to the asmo who reviewed, thanks so much for giving me your thoughts. Gimme your name, class, server and level so I can stalk you :3 May Ariel's light shine upon you.

The battles contained in this piece are half based off real past happenings and the rest the embellishments of my imagination. I chose Morheim cuz I'm more familiar with that than Brusthonin. There won't be much humor in here, just generally action. I'll go back to my usual writing style after I'm done with this.

So here's the drama piece. Bon appetit.

"_We are the legion, we are Great Madness!"_ ~Reaza

Chapter challenge: name as many skills as you can! X3

**Chapter 3: Ice, Snow and Blood**

"Brothers and sisters, I believe the time is ripe for our youngest to participate in their first raid," Reaza announced grandly.

Polite applause rang out as I, Rurulca, Vellina, Lathander and several others were gently but firmly herded to the front of the congregation. We were in Elyos Square, once again, discussing the details regarding our legion's pending raid on Asmodae. Oftentimes raids were executed to test the strength of the opposing faction and gauge their numbers, but none could deny the thrill and excitement that came with infiltrating deep inside enemy territory. More often than not it resulted in death, but no matter – raiding was a sport, acknowledged by both the raiders and the raided.

"Therefore," Reaza continued. "The raid this time will include the juniors. As usual, split off in pairs, and some of you, do take in one of the juniors as your partner. Compatible classes please. Your job will be to guide them in movement and combat as befitting their class."

The group began to drift around as everyone sought out their desired partner. I saw Oscillum and Crossloki knock their knuckles, both assassins standing together; Guinethe and Fikhan, Shurer and Lylyy, Kathline and Vipermage. Most everyone paired up with someone they could work with – there were personal preferences and classic pairs known for their efficiency. Assassin pairs worked well in stealth operations, mages and rangers for their offensive capabilities, warriors and priests for their survivability.

It was to be the first time I'd set foot in Asmodae. Raids lasted an indefinite amount of time, depending on the grouped pair itself – groups rarely met up after dispersing into enemy territory, and the time when a team would return was when both had been killed, or, in the case of experienced veterans, when they tired of the raid.

I saw Euwyn placing a hand on Lathander's shoulder, and Windtl standing with Rurulca – I hardly had the time to wonder who my partner would be before a presence loomed behind me, and a large hand settled atop my head.

"Dibs on you, koala," Bahiam quipped cheerfully, smiling.

"Bear," I replied, pleasantly surprised. Bahiam was a long-time friend of mine, and one I was sure I could work with. Knowing he would be my partner and mentor in this little jaunt to the other end of Atreia reassured me greatly.

The gladiator let out a bark of laughter at my pet name for him, in response to the one he had christened me with only a month or so before. "That's the spirit," he chuckled.

Once everyone was paired up, Reaza continued his announcement, Madmedic at his side. "Mentor teams, stealth teams, to Morheim. The rest, to Gelkmaros. Let's go!"

In a flurry of movement everybody dispersed, heading for the teleporter. About a third of us headed off to Eltnen, and upon landing at Eltnen Fortress, split up into our own pairs. After a quick word of discussion, it was decided that Bahiam and I would take the rift in the Eracus Desert.

"Cmon koala." The gladiator patted my shoulder and spread his wings, gesturing for me to follow. With several sweeps of pearl-white feathers we both set off towards the desert, Bahiam leading the way. In almost no time at all, we had arrived before the rift.

It was a rent in the fabric of the world, a gaping aether-disc defying the laws of both time and space. Not unlike our teleportation devices in that sense, but where ours were consistent, controlled, _tame_, this was jagged, wild even, bending to none's will. A swirling vortex of rich violet and midnight blue, a jagged rim of white framing it, containing it. Nothing like the golden, runed, glass-like plate every Daeva has known since Ascension as a means of travel.

I swallowed, anticipation dampening my palms and drying out my mouth. Beyond that rift was the unknown, where we would face off against Asmodians impromptu, outnumbered and without the home advantage. I was going to do this. I was really going to do this.

Bahiam sensed my nervousness and turned to face me with a smile. "Don't worry, koala. I'll protect you. I promise."

I looked up at him, at his powerful form, at his polearm, his gunmetal-silver hair spiked up neatly in the center. At his bright, confident smile, the way he seemed to make this raid seem more like an exciting adventure than a march to the death. I decided then that I believed him, and that I trusted him to take care of me.

I believed him, and I was ready.

Gathering my courage, I nodded. Bahiam gave me a thumbs-up, and turned to jump into the rift. Not wanting to be separated from him, I hurriedly leapt in after him. There was a jerking sensation as I was transported through time and space, and Aion saw me ejected out of the rift's tail-end with all the grace of a Daeva at first flight, staggering forward and trying to keep my balance.

The biting cold of Morheim was a sharp contrast to the sweltering heat of Eltnen's deserts. I had heard tales of how bitter Asmodian winters were, but to actually feel it in person was an entirely different experience. It took me a moment to adjust, and to notice Bahiam beckoning me towards him, away from the rift-exit and under the cover of snow-laden pines.

I ducked under the needles, brushing away the snow that fell on my head and shoulders, and crouched next to him. Bahiam was peering out from between the branches, assessing our surroundings.

"Okay, here's how it goes," he murmured in an undertone. "Since you're a cleric, most everyone will target you first. I'll try to head them off, but I need you to stay out of sight as much as possible. Keep hidden and focus on healing if there are more than two of them. Less than that, you can join me and I'll teach you how to fight. Alright?"

I nodded. Bahiam reached out to take my hand, and we formed the customary aether bonds. Aether bonds were an important facet of grouping, as marking one another with aether assisted in the streaming of healing magic, and also allowed group members to be constantly aware of each other's exact location and physical condition at any given time. Once it was done, Bahiam carefully stepped out of cover and set a steady pace along the cliff walls, not completely hiding, and not completely in the open either. I followed closely behind him, keeping a lookout behind us as we walked.

Morheim was icebound, at least where we were, craggy white cliffs and frozen lakes kept in a perpetual state of winter. My brogans sank into the snow blanketing the ground, as did Bahiam's sabatons – it left clear footprints in the snow, but Bahiam didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. On the contrary, it was almost deliberate the way he stepped hard onto the snow, scanning the area intently as if expecting something to happen. An invitation, I realized after several minutes, to anyone daring enough to take on two Elyos out on a raid.

We didn't have long to wait.

All of a sudden, what seemed like a ton of paws and fur smashed into my back, the weight of my unseen attacker making me stagger forward and crash to the ground. It knocked all the breath out of my lungs as I clawed at the snow before me, trying to get free, snow in my mouth and my vision spotting from the pressure and lack of air. The taste of winter gales, of icy aether invaded my senses, and a heavy breath chilly as the Asmodian winter gusted around my neck, white strands of fur rippling wraithlike in the still winter landscape as I struggled desperately to escape the snapping teeth I knew would come to close around my neck.

Then blessed relief, as the beast was thrown off me abruptly to crash into a snowdrift a small distance away. I gasped, drawing in a much-needed breath as I scrambled to my feet and hurriedly made for my safe spot next to Bahiam. The gladiator was glaring at what I now saw to be a wind spirit, polearm held at the ready after having tossed the spirit off me more than a little roughly. The rampant aether-aura the massive creature was giving off told us both that this was no wild spirit.

We had met our first adversary.

Bahiam and the wind spirit stared each other down warily, a low growl emanating from deep within the spirit. As they sized each other up, I cast around, searching eyes raking the landscape. If there was a spirit there would have to be a master... I twisted my head this way and that, looking in the trees, the snowbanks, the rocky cliffs above.

I spotted what I was looking for a split second before all hell broke loose.

A mage clad in flowing dark robes, a distance away and biding his time, only now leaping into action, sending a wild flurry of magic streaking towards Bahiam. The wind spirit lunged at a shouted command from its master, jaws wide and aiming for my neck a second time round. Panic as I fumbled with the straps that bound my shield to my back, tugging at the buckles that refused to budge as a tonne of lethal spirit shot towards me-

With a swift step and a mighty swing of his polearm, Bahiam intercepted the wind spirit, smashing it aside even as the full brunt of the mage's aether slammed into him, making him stagger a step sideways.

The buckles came loose. I shifted into a defensive stance, shield up and mace at the ready, my heart pounding a rapid staccato beat as everything I had learnt from Euwyn and Whitesage regarding field combat surged through my mind all at once. Back in the safety of Elysea, I had been confident that I was more than ready for field combat, should the occasion ever arise. Yet here, now, in the biting winter world of Asmodae, I felt painfully incompetent as Bahiam fought off the wind spirit, all the while closing in on the spiritmaster. Truly, theorizing in safety has nothing on real experience on the battlefield.

Determined not to be useless, I poured healing magic into my partner through our aether-link, negating the wounds he had sustained. The Asmodian, seeing his spirit effectively occupied by the gladiator, and vice versa, turned his sights on me. So suddenly that I had no time to react, a cocoon of aether wrapped around me, binding and abruptly silencing the hum of aether in my blood. I froze as numbness replaced my inner clarity, the alien sensation jolting my mind so badly that I stood there a full three seconds as shock overrode my system.

Then time moved again. Regaining my senses, I hastily ducked behind a rock just as a burst of fire spewed towards me, clawing in my bag for the bottle of healing potion I always had on my person. Adrenaline pounded through my veins as searing magic singed the worn granite, the acrid smell of molten rock invading my senses. Yanking out the bottle, I downed the golden contents swiftly, instantly feeling the aether rush back into my consciousness, eagerly awaiting my command. Calling what little destructive aether I had in my possession, I cast a flame-curse on the Asmodian, then willed the earth to erupt violently under his feet. It shattered his focus, and as the surprised mage tried to recover, I sent a lightning burst towards the wind spirit, attempting to distract it. It glanced my way for a split second, a very brief window of time, but that was all Bahiam needed.

Swinging his polearm, he brought the momentum of its great weight to bear and lopped off the spirit's head.

The wind spirit disintegrated with a yowl, and I healed Bahiam again as he charged towards the Asmodian mage. The spiritmaster hastily threw up an aetheric shield, Bahiam's polearm slamming into it not a second later with almost enough force to level a small hill. The mage backed up, desperately trying to subdue him using magic and attempt a getaway. Outwardly, the attacks that the spiritmaster threw at him seemed to have no effect, but I sensed the horrific burns he was sustaining through the aether bond. It was through sheer iron willpower that he didn't so much as flinch with every movement until I managed to heal him. The Asmodian didn't know that, however, and Bahiam showed no signs of weakening, the mage began to falter.

_"When a spiritmaster gets cornered, watch out for Fear. It incapacitates the mind and makes you a blind duck to their attacks."_ Whitesage's voice echoed in my mind as Bahiam repeatedly slammed his polearm on the Asmodian's shield, trying to break it down. Where Euwyn was my mentor in terms of healing, Sage tended to give me pointers regarding combat and spontaneous field situations. Keeping his words in mind, I retreated to a safe distance, focusing on healing my tank.

As expected, the Asmodian pulled his trump card.

An unearthly shriek filled the air, amplified by aether and pitched in such a way that shot straight to one's mind. The effect on me was minimal due to my careful distance, but even so, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Bahiam was less fortunate, however. As he was right before the mage, he got the full blast of it straight in the face.

As he staggered backwards and stumbled about in disorientation, the spiritmaster attempted to make a run for it, but I was ready for that. Swiftly healing Bahiam of his condition, I sent a violent gale of wind smashing straight into the Asmodian's back.

He staggered, winded. In that brief moment of time, Bahiam caught up to him, and with an almighty swing of his polearm managed to crack the shield, and it shattered, vanishing into the air.

The Asmodian had nowhere else to go. His expression terrified, he tripped on a snowbank as he tried in vain to back up, and fell onto his back. I cast my gaze away as Bahiam raised his weapon, the blade gleaming dangerously in the pale light. A scream, abruptly cut off by the sickening crunch of breaking bones and the gurgle of ruptured organs.

It was over.

I sank to my haunches, dazed and more than a little nauseated. Somewhere near me, Bahiam cleaned his blade on the snow, staining the pristine white an eerie pink. My heart was still racing, horror at the witnessing of a kill gradually invading my mind. The temporary death of an immortal, meaningless, but a death nonetheless.

A distance away, the Asmodian's body dissipated, as is the wont of Daevas upon death.

"You did well, koala," Bahiam said coaxingly as I stared numbly into the snow. "It's fine. He's niot gonna die."

I knew that, as much as I knew I would grow to love Daeva-on-Daeva battles in the distant future. Knew that this was just a sport, a bloody one, but a sport nonetheless. That it didn't really mean much other than providing a means of testing one's skill and slaking one's lust for challenging battles.

I just hadn't come to terms with it yet.

"You okay?" Bahiam looked at me with a little concern. "You look a bit green."

I swallowed, and nodded. "I'm fine," I croaked, and swallowed again. "Just need a moment." Ugh. Stupid throat.

He nodded understandingly, and sat down next to me. "First time's always like that. But you'll get used to it, no worries. Soon you might even find it fun. And then you'll want to do it all by yourself and leave me all alone. Oh no, the loneliness." He mock-pulled a face and then grinned, patting my head. I managed a wan smile, grateful for his attempt at humor, and tried harder to pull myself together.

After several minutes I felt well enough to continue, and we set off again into the winter, ready for our next challenge.

xoxoxoxo

The more notable incident happened a few hours after. Before then, we had been picking our way through Morheim, moving carefully enough to be found by some and missed by others. We'd ran into several other Asmodians, some alone and some in pairs, and always I was fighting beside Bahiam, healing him and following his instructions as best as I was able. Nevertheless most of the time I merely assisted, as Bahiam fought front and center, healing and providing support as was my job. I was getting the hang of it, and gradually starting to relish the thrill of being part of the battlefield.

We hadn't run into more than two at a time so far, but it was soon to happen.

Word that a raid was going on in Morheim was gradually getting spread around, as challengers grew thicker and heavier with every passing hour. The hunt was on, and the two of us were hard-pressed to stay alive.

It just so happened that we encountered a small team of Asmodians while trying to find our way across a crevasse.

Bahiam saw them first, several humanoid specks dark against the snow, and urgently gestured for me to hide. I slipped under the cover of the snow-laden pines, watching intently as he slowly, deliberately unstrapped his weapon and held it ready.

A cry came from the distance, they had spotted him. They surged forward with breathtaking speed, then suddenly halted, still a good distance away. After a moment, they cautiously moved closer, and I could see the polearm of a gladiator and the staves of two chanters. They surrounded Bahiam, circling him warily. For all his gentleness outside of battle, Bahiam could be very imposing when he wanted to be. He spun around, calculating eyes assessing his opponents as both parties sized each other up. A tense silence ensued, like the calm before a storm.

And what a storm it was.

Then all of a sudden, the Asmodian gladiator charged forward, polearm slashing downwards in a deadly arc. Sparks flew as Bahiam countered it with his own, then spun to fight off both the chanters. It was a ferocious battle, and I tried my best to heal him without giving away my presence. We held for the first few minutes, but when Bahiam showed no signs of fatigue, one of the chanters disengaged herself from the fight. She leapt backwards, her searching gaze sweeping across the landscape-

To stare straight into my eyes.

I ducked behind a tree, heart pounding, but the damage had been done - Bahiam surged forward and attacked the her ferociously, trying to keep her from coming towards me. It cost him a heavy staff-blow on his side but he refused to give an inch, wielding his polearm so efficiently that it was either watch him or get beheaded. Aether tinged the edge of his blade a brilliant red-gold, leaving a fiery trail behind it as it swung through the air. It was truly magnificent to behold.

When I dared to look again, I searched the chanters's eyes for any form of emotion. For some reason she didn't seem to be trying to break away, on the contrary, there was an almost smug look on her face-

Suddenly, I sensed a hostile presence loom behind me and I whirled around in alarm. A flash of deadly silver crossed the edge of my vision as my eyes met those of my assailant's for a heart-stopping second, the only warning I had before pain erupted across my torso, burning and red-hot as the dagger aimed for my back plunged deep into my shoulder. I jerked backwards in shock and pain, and was rewarded with another burst of agony as the blade wrenched out of my shoulder forcefully.

It would have been to much to ask, I realized, for them to have believed that Bahiam came alone, formidable as he seemed. Seeing no one else with him had immediately made them suspicious, hence the lookout that lead to my discovery. The brief pause beforehand had been to send their comrade in search of the missing second Elyos that made up the traditional raiding pair. But I only figured that out later. Right now, I was staring an Asmodian Daeva straight in his masked face, time seeming to freeze as his burning crimson gaze bore into mine.

A brief pause on both sides, then the battle began in a flurry of blades and steel.

I drew my mace and shield, aether already surging to my command as the wound sealed itself shut, the sharp pain numbing to a dull ache. The assassin moved extremely fast, to the point that I could hardly keep up with him as he flitted around me, kinah-bright daggers moving in a deadly dance as I blocked and parried desperately, my skills pushed to the limit and then some. I deflected many of his stabs, but more still slipped through my guard, drawing blood where my shield and chain armor failed to protect me. I swung my mace at him, hoping to smash his skull in, but to no avail. My experience in melee combat was patchy at best and downright laughable at worst, clearly no match for a skilled assassin. Neither could Bahiam help me - he was too preoccupied keeping up with his three opponents to take on a fourth.

I was on my own. Always, Bahiam had been beside me on the battlefield, reassurance that everything would be fine even if I messed up. Not this time. This time, I had the whole battlefield to myself, and I was terrified.

Aware that my precise hold on magic was my only friend, I backed off. Leaping backwards, I tried to keep my distance as I drew on every offensive magic skill I had. I called the earth to me, to erupt violently around him; placed a flame-curse on him, and summoned my loyal Holy Servant to assist me - forming aether into physical restraints, I repeatedly tried to hold him down long enough to land a hit on him. I threw bursts of lightning at him, desperately trying to keep him out of arms reach. He darted about so fast that I could not stop running for fear he'd catch me, commanded my total attention in order to keep the earth and flame-curse on him. He was weakening slightly, but I was exhausted - my breath came in harsh pants, and the wounds he inflicted on me were small but numerous, slowly but surely whittling away at my will and my strength to keep fighting. I could hardly faze him. Frustrated to the point of despair, I was almost ready to give up.

_Remember your training._ Sage's voice flitted through my mind again, and I suddenly recalled something from my training days in the infirmary with Euwyn. She had taught me how to shape aether into a surgical scalpel, to be used when needed on the battlefield where proper medical equipment was unavailable. It was very substantial and dangerously keen, capable of easily slicing through flesh and sinew.

"Be creative," Sage had once said, cryptically as it seemed to me then. Now I somewhat understood what he meant. A wild idea formed in my mind, and I dared not spend too much of my already limited time pondering its efficiency. Leaping into action, I restrained the assassin and focused my aether.

A red sheen floated over my skin, the way it usually did when I was preparing the scalpel. Except that this time, instead of a thin layer of semi-opaque red augmenting my finger, red mist rippled across my entire body, spiking into ethereal, footlong thorns. Not the prettiest of aether-work, but it was as deadly as it looked, and that was what mattered.

Of course, it gave the assassin cause to be wary of contact, as was my intention. Going on the offensive, I fought ferociously, being as brutish as I could bring myself to be. The tables were turned. Contact would benefit me now, seeing as he would rip himself to shreds should he come too close.

It didn't come off as successfully as I'd counted on it to be, however - the assassin was damnnably cautious, and with his evasion I was unable to land a hit on him. He kept vanishing into the shadows, master of stealth as he was. It became a stalemate as we both tried to attack each other yet at the same time not sustain damage. Frustration assaulted me once again as I attempted a kick and a mace-swing, which he promptly dodged. Bahiam was failing, increasing fatigue leading to more and more injuries on his person. He needed me, and I couldn't afford to drag this out much longer.

In sheer frustration, I did something completely unexpected- I dropped my mace as the assassin attempted to ambush me, and brutally backhanded him across the face.

I got a gash on my chin for my trouble, but he got it far worse. The thorns on my handguard tore through his skin like paper, blood spraying everywhere and spattering on my armor. The gruesomely mutilated face stared at me for a moment that seemed like an eternity, before the assassin collapsed sideways, the thorns having all but ripped his face off.

Looking down at his twitching form, I gritted my teeth against the nausea and called down a lightning strike on him. The burst of electricity stilled him instantly, and I watched in morbid fascination as smoke rose from the charred body, the sharp tang of ozone reaching my nose.

My handiwork. My first kill.

As I stood victorious above the body, a heady rush of triumph and satisfaction engulfed me. Almost, I could see why everyone found raids so enjoyable. The sensation of bringing down a strong opponent, knowing that you were capable and _better _than the other person, of _winning_, it was exhilarating, addicting even. It felt good.

But the enjoyment would have to come later.

Invigorated with my win, I swiftly patched myself up and ran to join Bahiam in the battle. The chanter who had previously spotted me broke off from her battle to challenge me, and I shouted to Bahiam that it was alright when he, fatigued as he was, still tried to hold her back. The chanter didn't dodge or try to play games with me - it was a battle of skill as she wielded her staff expertly, smooth and fluid as we twirled around each other in a deadly dance. Every moment I could I sent a load of healing aether Bahiam's way, but it soon became obvious that this fight was going nowhere soon.

Rule 1# of successful raiding: never stay too long in the same place, otherwise your location would be locked on and everybody would home in on you right after.

We had already broken that rule. Hearing the telltale rustling of feathers, both Bahiam and I looked up to see black wings swarming the sky like a murder of crows, a good dozen or so hot on our tail.

He turned to me, and yelled one word.

Run.

We both abandoned our battles and full-out sprinted for cover. We were outnumbered eight to one, and there was no way we could survive.

They closed in on us, blocking our way out, fencing us in. Attacks came in a wild flurry like horizontal rain, and an arrow pierced through my gut, the metal tip protruding from my stomach. I collapsed as more arrows lodged into my body, and the last thought in my mind before darkness took me was: _Well, not too bad for a first time._

A few moments later, I opened my eyes to the bustling city of Sanctum, lethargic and nauseated from the forcible recollection of my person from the aether. I wondered how Bahiam fared, and not a moment later he materialized next to me, looking a little sick as well.

It was a pretty successful raid as far as first-time raids went, and Bahiam smiled as he placed his large hand on the top of my head approvingly. I chewed on my lower lip, biting back a smile as he got up, offering me a hand after and pulling me to my feet.

Enjoyable indeed. And maybe next time, I might even join a siege.

xxxx

A/N:

Yes, I did get attacked once by a wind spirit while Bah was with me, just that we were in Eltnen at the time and I did get killed xP and yes my first kill was a sin. I hopped out of the rift and he was right there, staring at me, and I won after a little scuffle.

Choppy choppy choppy. Not smooth enough, but I'm lazy to tweak it. Idc. Okay time to report. How many skillz could you identify? XD

Hoped you enjoyed this, I'll be moving on to Kex and Loki after this.

Peace out,

Kakashiz/ Kaolin


	4. Memories

A/N: **VERY OUTDATED**, timeline is from a little after our daily Inggi-Gelk sieges period, where Dage was one of the leaders at the time in the massive Elyos alliance. Most of the things here reflect conditions 2 months before so it might be sorta off but bear with me please :)

This chapter will consist mostly of my feels and stuff, recollections and ponderings, so my apologies to Latty if there's less humor in it. :3 Although actually I'm not sure. I haven't started writing yet. I could be wrong. Italics are flashbacks, and regular text is the present.

Actually Dage left the legion to go learn stuff from other better legions, but to jump legions in a real-life verse would be treason I suppose, so I'm suggesting a similar enough alternative. Also, our legion has gone through a lot in the past two months, and many have left but more have come. It's a time of change for us, and we who remain have grown stronger and closer as a result.

No matter what, Great Madness will always be my most dearly-loved family.

"_We are the legion, we are Great Madness!" ~Reaza_

Alright, here we go.

**Chapter 4: Memories**

The day he left, he simply vanished without a word.

In hindsight, it had been a long time coming. The faint sense of Dage's stress and pent-up impatience had been tangible in his aura for many months. Especially after a slip-up on the part of his temper that nearly tore the legion apart inside out, it was only a matter of time before something gave.

It had been the sieges, I was sure of it.

In the past six months, war had been raging non-stop in the elite regions of Inggison and Gelkmaros. The Elyos had formed the greatest alliance yet, consisting of nearly a dozen legions and several hundred Guardians strong. The leaders of Pitch Black, Rising Phoenix, Divine Serenity, Mark of the Elite and many more had united under the banner of the Elyos, and even Clarity, the singularly most powerful and the best of Sanctum's best legions, had deigned to participate.

The day he left, he left behind only a letter on his studio desk, found a week later, to explain his absence. Apparently Reaza had known of it beforehand, the only one Dage had so much as breathed a word to, and even so he was grave as the rest of us were numb with shock at the loss of one of our most influential deputies.

He had gone into hiding, for an unspecified period of time. To meditate, to improve himself before he was ready to assume, once again, the helm of Great Madness's army commander. Lylyy and Shurer, two of our Daevas, had been pondering a decision to leave Great Madness and join another legion, and at their apparent 'treason' Loki had lost his temper and bellowed at them to leave and never return. It had outraged many Daevas, and they, deeming such a short-tempered man unworthy to command them, had left as well. It was a bruising loss to our legion, and we barely managed to remain standing as it was.

It gnawed at him, his actions and subsequently the consequences that we as a legion had to bear. He did not mean to do such, yet it was already done and there was no turning back time. Guilt was never something enjoyable to bear, and he had eventually, naturally, finally caved to it. He could not take much more of this burden upon his shoulders, believing that he had not been a worthy leader.

Reaching over to take the letter, my eyes slid across the pale ochre parchment to rest upon the final line of carefully-scratched pen marks, the lilts and flicks that marked it as Crossloki's handwriting.

_ Back for you someday._

My heart twisted. Long pale fingers tightened on the parchment, creasing it slightly even as a memory came to mind unbidden for, fresh, vivid, and now almost bittersweet. It was a day barely a week ago, when I had attended the alliance banquet hosted by Clarity in the grand halls of Sanctum.

_It was the biggest event to have happened in the better part of half a century. Hundreds of Daevas were attending, for one does not simply turn down an invitation to a banquet hosted by the most elite legion in all of Elysea. All were dressing in their best formalwear, and I, a legionary of one of the alliance's legions, was loath to do different._

_ I was standing before the mirror, preening, when the doorbell rang. Smoothing down my dress one last time, I strode towards the front door of my studio._

_ "Kexypitch Rizkaen, at your service."_

_ It was Kex, as I'd expected, impeccably punctual and absolutely dashing in his black formal robes. The strikingly dark material contrasted perfectly with his unruly ivory hair, bringing out the mesmerizing depths of his abyss-dark eyes. He flashed me a winning smile as I stepped into my heels and took his arm. An illusion gate floated in the air next to us, courtesy of him, saving us the need for the long walk down the housing block of Oriel. Kexypitch - powerful sorcerer, close friend, eye candy to die for and my oh-so-hot chaperone for the night._

_ "You look beautiful," he complimented me as we materialized in Sanctum, the tranquil scenery of Oriel replaced by the bustling splendor of the Elyos capital._

_ "Same to you." I smiled._

_ He laughed. "Dayumn, I think that's the first time someone's called me 'beautiful'," he remarked mischievously, then put on a mock-solemn face. "I, Kexypitch the Beautiful, am the most beautiful sorcerer in all of Atreia! All shall bow to my blinding beauty and tremble in their boots!"_

_ I snorted at the ridiculous image and burst into hysterical giggles. Kex's mock-straight face quivered as he tried to hold it, but in the end he cracked up as well. Still laughing, I slipped my hand into his and we continued our walk. It seemed that I was going to have a fun night to look forward to._

I slowly gave the letter back to Reaza, and numbly walked outside. The sun would not show his face today, hidden behind a veil of ash-grey clouds. Be it coincidence, I mused, that even the weather would know of the depth of my emotions.

_Dancing was an interesting affair. After a bout of twirling, I found Kex's slender fingers on my waist replaced by larger, stronger ones. I looked up to see Bahiam grinning at me, a classic silver masquerade mask covering one side of his face._

_ Kex pouted, hands on his hips as he shot the gladiator an indignant look. "No stealing my waifu. Don't make me pew pew you."_

_ I smothered a laugh as Kex tried to smoothly elbow his way back in and Bahiam refused to budge - getting caught in a very discreet scuffle, Aion soon saw the both of them subtly grappling with each other while someone else bumped into me and took my hand._

_ As I tried to cover my amusement at both the men almost dancing like a couple while glaring murderously at each other, my new partner caught my waist and spun me around. A pair of electric blue eyes and long strands of dark hair skirted my vision, not helpful at all in my attempt to discern the identity of this mysterious male._

_ The song ended, and I squeaked in surprise as he dipped me backwards, the world spinning around. When he pulled me back up, I stared at him breathlessly. An unfamiliar face, sharp, hawk-like features, long midnight hair in a topknot. The garb of a ranger._

_ "Jarvel Valstear, of the Oblivions Phoenix," he introduced himself, his voice oily and drawling. His eyes raked over my body, pausing appreciatively at inappropriate places, and I was immediately struck with a strong disliking for this man. I was loath to stay in his company, but I knew not how to extricate myself._

_ "Kaolin Caerexxe, Great Madness," I replied, eyes silently pleading as mine met those of Kex's and Bahiam's. Both the men, glasses of fruit punch in their hands and apparently having reconciled, looked over questioningly, brows raised._

_ My eyes darted to Jarvel meaningfully, and the both of them, getting what I meant, started striding over like two men on a mission._

_ "So…Kaolin." Jarvel rolled my name over his tongue like sweet meat. He was trying to be charming, but in all honesty I found it rather repulsive. "Are you single?"_

_ "No, she's plural," Kex interjected swiftly, coming to stand a little behind me. Jarvel's head snapped up to glare at him, and the sorcerer only smiled innocently in reply. "Kexypitch, deputy of Great Madness," Kex introduced briefly._

_ Bahiam came to stand next to and slightly behind me on my other side, throwing all of his imposing height over us. "Bahiam, deputy of Great Madness." His giant polearm gleamed in the lamplight, and Kexy needed not to show any subtle form of intimidation, for his way of attire already displayed his status as a master of aether. Powerful dual intimidation that would have sent any other man excusing himself, but unfortunately not one that seemed to hold much weight with Jarvel. The brunette ranger merely blinked, and, not even bothering to hide his irritation, swiftly introduced himself._

_ "Jarvel Valstear, Oblivions Phoenix," he said snappily. "Now, if you don't mind, the lady and I were having a conversation." He made a rudely dismissive gesture at the two of them and turned back to me, Kex and Bah already forgotten. "Now where were we? Ah, yes. A pretty maiden like yourself should have many suitors, no? I don't suppose you have any…_experience _in the bedroom, do you?" He reached out, grinning slyly, and I flinched as his wandering fingers groped my ass._

_ Bahiam's fingers twitched, and I inadvertently glanced up at the massive polearm strapped to his back. His expression was dark as Jarvel made several more lewd comments, blindly forging ahead in his poorly disguised attempts to proposition me._

_ Kexy wasn't unaffected as well. While I pressed my lips together in prudent distaste, Kex was bristling. Mages had inherently and naturally powerful aetheric signatures, and the oppressive aura emanating from him was almost suffocating, so potent that even nearby Daevas talking and mingling had fallen silent to peer warily at us. _

_ I discreetly placed a placating hand on both their arms as the object of their ire blithely prattled on, unaware of how close he was to being diced/ beheaded/ impaled by a giant glacier/ fried to a crisp. Someone getting killed in the middle of a banquet was due to cause complications, especially when this was supposed to be a meeting of alliance legions, but I didn't see how I could resolve this when Bahiam and Kex were both out to defend my virtue, and Jarvel, dense idiot as he was, refused to shut up. _

_The both of them were tensed, and if looks could kill, the ranger would have died a thousand horrible deaths already. I dug my fingers into both their arms, but even so I was already silently counting down to the moment when all hell would break loose, as my boys lost patience and pounded him into Jarvel-coloured mush._

_Thank Aion for interruptions. _

_A sharp, tangible wave of killing intent spiked from a corner, and all four of us froze, our battle-honed instincts of self-preservation triggered and shrieking in warning . Turning our heads, we saw Crossloki slouched against a table, arms crossed and head down, his signature beret-cap hiding his eyes. He didn't say anything, nor did he look up, but the sheer force of his intimidation was so powerful that it was almost physical._

_Jarvel started in shock as he registered the assassin's ominous presence. "Gen- Executive General Loki," he blurted, all his oily charm gone and replaced with terrified subordination. While Loki was also a deputy of Great Madness, thus placing him at the same level as Bah and Kex, he was also the general of our legion's attack force, the one who led our Daevas into war side-by-side with other legions as the representative authority of Great Madness and one of the co-leaders of the alliance. Jarvel recognized him, and he was scared, and for good reason._

"_Dage?" I asked in surprise. I hadn't seen him up until now, and had naturally assumed that he wasn't attending. Jarvel didn't know Bah and Kex that well, but Loki was one of his lieges, an assassin, and a rather scary one at that. When I had referred to him as 'big brother', the ranger swallowed hard and stared at me in horrified dread. His eyes darted between me and Loki fearfully, almost as if he was worried that he'd get assassinated in the night. Which wouldn't be a surprise, considering that it was Dage we were talking about._

"_Jarvel Valstear." Dage's voice was quiet and even. "You would do well to keep in mind that I do not tolerate harassment of my legion members." The way he said it was so creepy that it made the hair on the back of my neck prickle._

_Being the sole focus of Dage's unfiltered intimidation, Jarvel blanched. "M-my apologies, s-sir, I… I didn't know she was-"_

"_That does not excuse your behavior. Begone."_

"_Y-yes sir. Right away," he stammered, and scurried away in sheer fright. Dage's presence and the fact that I seemed close with him was apparently too much for him to handle._

_Putting him out of my mind, I sidled over to Loki and tugged at his sleeve. "Why so tense, Dage?"_

_Loki sighed, his shoulders sagging as he brought a hand up to rub the side of his neck. "Nothing much, mushu," he murmured. "I'm just…tired." He tried to force a smile, but what came out looked more like a grimace._

_I knew what he meant. It wasn't easy being one of the leaders in such a gigantic alliance. He thought we didn't know, but we did. I knew how he hardly slept, how he had to attend to paperwork and tactical discussion deep into the night. Coordinating such a massive army took a lot of effort, and it was endless. He had been increasingly worn and haggard as the months wore on. That one time when he had fallen sick, Abrider had to confiscate his paperwork and threaten to withdraw the legion from the alliance before he was willing to get some rest._

_It had also made him very short-tempered, and he grew more and more snappish as the days passed. The climax of the situation arrived in the form of the legion nearly falling apart, and he, knowing that it was his fault, took it hard and to heart._

_Yes, he was very tired._

_Another song started, and I tugged at his sleeve again. "Dance with me?" I asked sweetly. Loki huffed faintly in amusement, but let me pull him to the dance floor, and obligingly put his hand on my waist when I put mine on his shoulder._

_I gazed up at him as we danced, lost in the ruby depths of his eyes. I didn't know what was in my mind then, only that a lot of emotions were swirling around in my mind._

_He twirled me out then back in – as we stood right before each other at the end of the song, he seemed to be struggling with himself, his lips parting as if to say something, but no sound came. I looked up at him questioningly, and after a moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes, shaking his head. _

_The moment was lost. Smiling half-heartedly, he mussed my hair and bade me goodnight. I watched him disappear into the crowd, a million thoughts turning in my mind._

_My disgruntled date found me again soon after. "Bahiam challenged that Valstear guy. Good. I hope he breaks his neck," Kex muttered darkly. It made me smile, knowing how well the both of them took care of me._

"_Thanks, Kex." I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The sorcerer blinked, and then grinned. "You're welcome."_

In the distant future I would find out that, at that moment, Dage had been about to tell me of his leaving. But as he described to me, had he spoken then, it would have made an already difficult situation even more complicated. And so he steeled himself, and walked away.

But I didn't know then, never expected that dance to be the last memory I would have of him for the next century.

It was a lonely walk home, back to the confines of my small studio in Oriel. My emotions were roiling, hurt and sadness and helplessness masked over by a layer of empty numbness. _Back for you someday._ Those words struck deep, forced me to step back from my life and assess it from a whole new perspective.

Truly, only when you lose something, do you realize how much it means to you.

"_Cmon Kaolin, you can do better!" Latona whirled her staff around and struck a blow, which I deflected with my own staff._

"_I'm not that good at this kind of thing!" I protested, forced fully on the defensive as I fought to counter all of Latona's attacks. The chanter's musical laugh filled the air as we sparred, giving a vibrant life to the otherwise immense and empty space of the Coliseum. I yelped as her staff smacked me in the back, hard enough for me to take a step forward._

_Rather exasperated, I threw up my shield to give myself some breathing room, then restrained Latona while I sent a violent gale in her direction. Not enough to hurt, but enough to blow her elaborate brunette hair into a wild mess. She let out a squeak of surprise, and I burst into laughter._

"_Cheeeaaaating!" she laughed, kicking free of my aether restraints. "We agreed on melee combat!"_

"_You're so much better than me, it's not fair," I pouted, turning my attention to healing the bruises she left on me. Latona stuck out her tongue, then giggled, a musical tinkle. "Well, I can't heal as well as you. Fair deal I'd say."_

_We were in the Coliseum, having a sparring session. Dage was overseeing our battles, occasionally giving comments and advice from his post near the walls, right under the podiums. The both of them were there to help me improve on my sadly sub-par combat skills, and having a hyperactive chanter like Lat as my opponent made it a rather grueling workout._

_I glanced at Loki, leaning against the Coliseum wall and watching us. Languid and laid-back like he usually was, saying nothing as Lat and I both sat down for a break. I took a swig from my bottle, a refreshing mix of juice and mana elixirs, then offered it to Latona._

_Dage was brooding, staring off into space as he turned something over in his mind. His arms were folded, a subconscious frown on his face. Add in his impressive set of black leathers and the pair of dagger hilts gleaming on his back, and it made a pretty imposing picture._

_Rested and feeling rather whimsical, I got up and skipped over to him. "Can I duel you?" I asked brightly, pulling at his sleeve._

_Loki looked up, both his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair. "Are you sure?" he asked mildly, amusement evident in his ruby gaze._

_I nodded eagerly. I had never went hand-to-hand against Dage before, and even though I was more than certain that I would lose, I was interested to find out how I'd fare against him._

_A faint smile found its way onto his face, and he shrugged. "Well, if you insist." He pushed off from the wall and strode to the centre of the Coliseum. "Ready when you are."_

I slid the glass pane of my weapon rack open, and reached inside to stroke the brilliant gold-bronze handle of my staff, lost within my own recollections. Lost within the four walls of my own mind that had suddenly expanded to fathomless depths within the space of one day. Lost, like the many Daevas that had left, and the big brother that I would not see again for many years.

_Deciding I would stick with my favored weapon for this round, I hoisted my shield up and picked up my mace. Loki gestured for me to make the first move, and without further hesitation, I focused my aether._

_My flame-curse, designed to serve the purpose of whittling away at an opponent's strength, somehow dissipated as it reached him, swallowed up by his black leathers. He drew his daggers in an instant, and when I tried to follow up with Earth's Wrath, he abruptly vanished, aether rippling around him and cloaking him in the blink of an eye._

_Warily, I held my shield up and turned a full circle, trying to anticipate his next move. A sudden presence behind me gave me a split second's notice before he materialized behind me, daggers twin silver streaks as they swept downwards in a deadly arc-_

_I twisted around as fast as I could, bringing my shield up. The edges of his blades skittered across the metal, and he leapt backwards as I swung my mace hard at him. Then, with a frightening burst of speed that my eyes couldn't follow, he darted forward, and time seemed to slow as he came right before me, a dagger held at neck level-_

_His shoulder collided with mine, sending me teetering - time moved again, and a line of red scored across the side of my neck, over my jugular, tiny and superficial but at the same time an indicator of how he could have slit my neck right there and then._

_I doubled the pace, fighting hard, throwing bursts of electricity at him, sending violent gales of wind slashing at him, but what he did not evade vanished into his leathers, seemingly absorbed into the black material. The assassin wasn't going all out - from what I could see, he was only toying with me, evading my attacks and giving me brief close-call scuffles at intervals where I could recover in between._

_I reached for more aether, then started in shock as I realized that my grasp on magic had slipped greatly. My hand flew to my neck, and when I stared at it I saw a tiny smear of blood and a clear, pale white liquid. In sudden realization I found that Dage's daggers were laced, and that I had been spiked with a silencing agent._

_Panicking, I tried to purge it, but it was already too late. My grasp of aether had slipped too much, and I soon found myself a sitting duck, helpless against him._

_Readily admitting defeat, I let out a low chuckle and let my arms drop to my sides. The wounds he had inflicted on me, each and every one light, minuscule scratches in crucial spots that could have been fatal had he wanted it to be. I had lost, and very badly. _

_I lifted my hand, signaling defeat, and started to inspect all the tiny wounds he left on me. _

"_You done already?" he called, and started to walk over._

"_I can't land a hit on you anyway," I grouched, eyeing his leathers in disgruntlement. "What kind of fabric is that, anyway?"_

_Loki glanced down at his jerkin. "Oh, this? This is Cimmerian weave. It eats aether."_

_I snorted. "No wonder. Ah well. It was a good fight." And a very eye-opening one. Next on my to-do list - research Cimmerian fabric and how to get around it. As far as I knew, it was impervious to all but magical attacks with massive brute force. And brute force wasn't one of my fortes._

_"No, wait. It wasn't fair on you. You weren't strong enough yet to compensate for the fabric."_

_I looked up at him questioningly, and stared in utter bewilderment as Loki stripped, pulling off his shirt, his shoulderguards, his vambrace, his boots. Finally he stood before me in nothing more than his trousers, both daggers in his hands, and everything else left in a pile on the ground. "Let's try again."_

_I was apprehensive at first, but then at his prompting I began to start drawing on my aether. The flame-curse connected this time, and I saw him wince as fire coiled around him, leaving burns everywhere they touched. I fought all-out then, darting around, sending bursts of elemental magic at him, weak as my destructive power was as a cleric._

_"Kite," he instructed as his laced dagger scored another red line up my arm. I sprinted away from him, sweeping my body with healing magic to purge the silencing agent. He didn't give chase but I pretended he did, throwing bursts of lightning and wind at him to keep him at bay. He gave me endless instructions, telling me what to do if he went into Hide, how I should respond if he did so and so. I learnt a lot that day, and when we called it quits for the day, Dage's upper body was laced with horrific burns and raw welts from where I had attacked him with magic. It was profound to me, as I healed him, what he was willing to suffer through so that I could make progress. _

_Even as Latona laughed and teased that I must be special, to somehow manage to get the high-and-mighty Crossloki to strip in a public zone, it was profound to me then, the love we held for one another as legionmates. _

The day I realized that my friends and legion would not be around forever, immortal even that we may be, was also the day I realized how much I loved them, and how cold and colorless my life would have been if I were to one day lose them. The day I realized that they had been such a big part of my life, of my heart, was also the day I became truly afraid, afraid to lose them, to be separated from those I had called friends and soon brothers and sisters.

I shrugged out of my formalwear, changing into more comfortable clothes. I was hardly in the mood to go out today, so I decided I would stay in, go through all my things and perhaps read a book or two. As I walked barefooted across my studio, I caught sight of the several photo frames on the mantelpiece, and paused. Reaching out, I touched those old photos of good memories - Dage in an apron and with a frying pan in his hand, looking rather comical; Oscillum with his blue chocobo grinning at the camera, a large group photo during Christmas many years past with several people having transformed into Grankers for our amusement.

I smiled faintly as I picked up that Christmas photo, recalling the scene that had also taken place in the expanse of the Coliseum, many years before - there had been talk of a duel between two of Great Madness's higher ranking officials. I had forgotten which. The duel was to be held in Sanctum, and the rest of us had flocked there at the promise of an epic showdown.

It was a quick, ferocious battle, ending minutes after it began - most of the longtime Daevas, now having their blood heated by the battle, began to commence spontaneous duels with one another. Several duels later, someone suggested we move it into the Coliseum and bash it out, literally. It was a brilliant idea, so we did just that.

_I was excited myself as we entered the Coliseum, the roar of magic and the ring of blades a cacophony in the normally silent and empty Coliseum. Everyone was in furious combat with everyone else - the sheer power of over a dozen Guardians in that space was hair-raising. In the middle of the space I saw Eternaldarkness and Bahiam, their polearms trailing fiery arcs across the air as they fought off a horde of opponents as well as each other. Arrows zipped through the air in a chaotic flurry, mages sprinting around and unleashing elemental hell on unsuspecting victims. Clerics, chanters and templars duked it out between them, battling to see whose stamina could last longer. It was every Daeva for himself, and it looked exhilarating._

_It took me all of five seconds to realize that I, a young fledgling Daeva, had no hope of facing up against any one of them. I took an experimental shot as Bah as he ran by, and in return received a smack with the gilded handle of his polearm. The Guardians would not challenge me, would not so mercilessly assault one of their own whom they knew would not be able to withstand their power, and so I was left alone, to watch._

_In the end, I teamed up with Kathline, also a fledgling Daeva then, a ranger with deft hands and quick eyes. Together we tried to bring down Madmedic, one of our clerics, and even though it went nowhere, having a partner with me and actually being able to participate made it so much more fun._

_Then, while I was resting and observing how my seniors fought, along came several Sanctum elites to crash our party, one-man fighting machines well known throughout Sanctum for their outstanding skill and prowess in battle. Even our Guardians could not face up against them, and when they handed out defeat after jeering defeat to every single one of us, the longtime Daevas got fed up of having our duel party disrupted._

_And so we formed an alliance, a massive group of Guardians hell-bent on getting revenge on the twinks that ruined our party. There was no place for me, since I could hardly keep up with them then - but I shared in the sadistic satisfaction we as a legion felt when the twinks had their asses handed to them four-on-one._

_Then, as I watched the proceedings with avid interest, a Daeva even younger than me, a male gladiator, decided to enter the Coliseum. For a moment he seemed disoriented as he took in the chaotic war raging within the confines of the Coliseum. Though, I had to give him credit. In a moment, he had spotted the one person who was not participating in any of the battles whatsoever - a lone, blue-haired cleric standing alone near the entrance._

_I saw him enter, and recognized him right away for what he was. He was to me what I was to the rest of my legion, a rookie with hardly any experience under his freshly-fledged wings. I would not fight him, considering his level was no match for mine, but he gave me a critical once-over, as if weighing his chances, then hefted his polearm into his hands, a clear indicator of his intent to battle._

_I would not fight him of my own volition, but neither would I turn down his challenge. I obligingly drew my mace and shield, relishing the adrenaline rush that flooded my senses at the prospect of a battle at last. His defeat at my hands would be of his own choice._

_Just as the battle was about to begin, a greater and far more powerful force than either of us came charging over to intervene. As I watched in sheer incredulity, Eternaldarkness barrelled over and smashed into the gladiator, his own massive polearm making short work of my opponent. In mere seconds the rookie had an utter defeat handed to him, and, looking like a whipped puppy, he duly escaped the Coliseum without further ado._

_Rather miffed at losing my chance of battling, I rounded on Ed. And here I was thinking he was preoccupied with his own battles already. "Ed! Why did you do that?"_

_Ed, now back to his ferocious battle with a ranger, answered me with a steely fervence in his tone. "No one touches my legion. Or I'll kill them."_

I smiled fondly at the memory. Ever since then, I'd started calling him 'dad' due to his being so overprotective, and even though he left in the end, it would always stay with me, that memory of him mercilessly smashing the gladiator into the ground because he wouldn't have me get hurt. What I truly longed for was the day when I would fight by their side, no longer as a mentee but as an equal, a partner of the same calibre. To become one of them, to contribute as a cleric could in the activities that Guardians took part in. I wanted to do my part for them, like what they had done for me.

Silently brooding, I placed the photo frame back on the mantel, then slipped my tiara out of my hair. I admired the glowing, ruby-red stones wrought in the delicate gold frame of the aether-enhancing accessory, turning it over in my hands before setting it gently on my dresser. An accessory that had taken much work to obtain, one that was unique and the only one of its kind, and one that held an unforgettable memory to it.

I laughed inwardly at myself as another memory floated to the top of my mind. Look at me now, just reminiscing about the past like an old woman at the end of her years. Looking back at all the memories that had colored the canvas of my life.

_The temperature was boiling hot, fumes rising from the molten lava that singed my feathers as I glided in. Beside me, Kex and his set of blue-green sails rustled faintly with mine, both of us angling for a secluded spot behind a stalagmite, out of reach of the spitting lava and out of sight of our quarry._

_ As we awaited our last member's arrival, Kex and I sized up the massive being looming above us, floating atop the little isle of brimstone. Kraterr, Lord of Flame and King of all fire spirits. A manifestation of the energy of fire, the essence of Kraterr would play a major role in magma research. That was why I was here: one could only obtain its essence by defeating it, and clearly I could not do it alone. _

_ A few more minutes, and the telltale swoosh of feathers over the gurgling of molten lava signified the arrival of our third and last party member. Vanishing his wings, Bahiam landed neatly within our midst, the glow of lava tinting the edge of his polearm a fiery orange. _

_Kex and Bah had both volunteered to lend their strength in this venture, and see this attempt through. The both of them were Guardians, both powerful in their own right, and with me serving as a medic for them, I had faith that the three of us would be able to pull through. Bah was to tank while Kex dealt out most of the damage, and I was to heal them and support them. Seeing that we were all ready, Kex gave us a thumbs up, which I returned, and he initiated the assault._

_ A vicious blast of magic slammed into the massive incarnation of fire and lava. There was a deep rumble as the entire area seemingly groaned at that offense, the lava streams roiling in tenfold agitation. Bahiam leapt forward to take the brunt of Kraterr's enraged retaliation, making sure its attention was on solely himself instead of the two casters with him. He did have the greatest stamina among all three of us, but even so I had to concentrate to compensate for the wounds he sustained, the burns and gashes that blistered immediately with its searing heat. _

_They fought hard - Bahiam's polearm trailed deadly arcs through the air, a sword, a mace and a spear all combined in one weapon. Explosions of elemental magic shook the area, and I healed incessantly, bolstering Bahiam's strength as he fought. _

_ An explosion of searing fire in all directions caught us all off guard - Bah was thrown backwards, crumpling to the ground. As I fought to keep up, pouring healing magic into Bahiam, the great flame-lord advanced upon him, readying the killing strike, and I desperately willed him to stand up, to not falter under the onslaught, to just hold on for a few seconds more so that I could finish healing him-_

_ An especially violent blast of magic exploded at Kraterr's side, sending it teetering - Kex looked ferocious, his expression focused and magic glowing a brilliant violet in his palms, the golden shimmer of an aetheric shield glimmering in the air before him. Kraterr rounded on the sorcerer, bringing down the full force of its power on him - in those few seconds that Kex bought us, I managed to heal Bahiam, and the gladiator hoisted himself to his feet, once again ready for battle. _

_Kex backed off as Bah rejoined the fight, the sorcerer battered and badly wounded after his brief, solo scuffle with Kraterr. I healed him, grateful for his actions that had clearly saved all our lives, and the battle continued._

_Kraterr was no pushover, on the contrary, the king of fire spirits boasted great stamina befitting a Lord as such, and lords would not be lords without minions by their side. About midway through our fight, a horde of fire spirits rose from the lava right behind me, and I frantically threw up my aetheric shield, trying to avoid them as half a dozen of them swarmed me, the closest unknown being within their range. Bahiam glanced over, and seeing me in trouble, he hurried over, and with Kraterr still unleashing infernal fury on him, swung his polearm in a large arc at the minions._

_Deeming Bahiam the greater threat, the fire spirits drifted after him as he ran back, and I, once again left alone, picked up my healing where I left off._

_ It was a long, exhausting battle, but we triumphed in the end - Kraterr fell with a groan that shook the very earth, and disintegrated, not permanently but long enough for us to collect what we came for. Exhausted, both my chaperones sank onto the brimstone for a well-deserved rest while I, wiping away the perspiration on my brow, hurried forward to examine the remains. Picking up several of the glowing, coal-hot inner pieces, I carefully packed them into heat-resistant cloth bags and slipped it into my backpack._

_"You done?" Bahiam asked wearily, and stood up with noticeable effort. I nodded eagerly, pleased with the results, and our success. Bahiam nodded once in reply, his lips faintly curving upwards in a smile of accomplishment. Kex somehow summoned the strength to form an illusion gate that would save us the journey back to Sanctum, and to see them both standing there, silhouetted against the glow of the lava, weary and utterly spent and yet standing tall and victorious, I was proud of them, and infinitely grateful to them to be willing to go to such lengths for me._

_"Guys, one sec," I called as they prepared to jump through the gate - they paused, and I took the chance to stretch up on my tiptoes to press a kiss each on both the men's sweaty cheeks. "Thanks. So much."_

_Identical grins cracked both their faces then, and Bah mussed my hair affectionately. "You're welcome, koala ." Kexy merely grinned mischievously, and with that we teleported back to the bustle of Sanctum's streets._

_ It was to be the event that marked the strengthening of our bonds as a legion, and also the one that marked Kex's transition in my life, from merely an acquaintance to so much more. _

_But that's another story._

And when I had run the specimens under tests, it turned out that it was an excellent medium for focusing and enhancing aether. But it was soon declared that Kraterr was a much too difficult opponent to defeat regularly, and the prospect of introducing fire-crystals into Daevean armour was eventually abandoned. Nevertheless the first and last test product remained with me, a memoir in the form of an intricate tiara.

And there were more. In the life of a soldier, one does not find love easily, but Kathline did, and so did I at a later date. Being a close legion, we had pretty much suspected that there had been something going on between Kathline and Vipermage for some time already, even if they didn't yet realize it themselves. The time when they caught several Asmodians infiltrating Heiron was very much a prime example.

_Arrows and bolts of magic flew as Kath and Viper assaulted the rifter, an assassin with two vicious-looking swords and an uncanny knack for dodging almost everything that came his way. When the rest of us arrived on scene the battle was already almost done with - clearly, two-on-one battles would not last long, especially if one of the duo was a powerful sorcerer. The kill was imminent, excitement glowing in Kath's eyes as she fired arrow after deadly arrow at the faltering assassin._

_The Asmodian's eyes flashed, and in an instant Viper shouldered into Kath, enveloping her within his aetheric shield and shoving her out of the way as the assassin made a last-ditch effort to slash her neck with the serrated teeth of his blades. Her killing shot went awry, and in that moment of brief confusion the assassin fled, and all that was left was a silent Viper and a rather disgruntled Kath._

_The ranger was seething as we accompanied them back back to New Heiron Gate. "One more second and he would have been done for! Would it have killed you to stick to the plan for ten darn minutes?" Kath was grumbling._

_Viper was silent as Kath fumed at him. The rest of us pretended not to have heard, but all eyes were on them as we walked across Heironopolis. _

_"You could almost smell his fear and think 'I've got this' but noooo you just had to shove me aside at the last moment like seriously what the hell are you so jacked up about? I'm not afraid of getting hurt if that's what you're concerned about, I'm a Guardian for Aion's sake and I can take care-"_

_Viper whirled around, seemingly having lost his patience, and hooked a long finger under her chin. Tilting her head up sharply, he crushed his lips to hers in a firm kiss, effectively muffling her words._

_The ranger's eyes widened, stunned into silence as her hands reflexively flew to his chest and made to push, yet instead of shoving him away, she simply melted into his arms. She wasn't the only one rather stunned, for we knew Viper, and this was rather out of character for him._

_Viper broke the kiss and strode on as Kath stared at him in shock, his pace brisk and his posture awkwardly rigid. "What-" Kath managed, her face turning cherry red as she regained her senses and hurried to catch up. Amusement caught up with the rest of us, and stifled sniggers crept into the air._

_"Just to shut you up," the sorcerer muttered gruffly, ducking his head. Even so I caught a glimpse of a faint pink tinge beneath the short stubble on his face, and had to smile. It was rather sweet, actually, and we were happy for them._

_Whatever his real intentions were, it did had the desired effect - it put the previous battle completely out of her mind, and she was silently blushing for the rest of the way back to Sanctum._

I lay back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The memories were endless. There were so many of them that I could hardly count them all. Dage leaving made me realize how much Great Madness was a family to me, how much it meant to me.

There was the time when Kex came with me through the Indratu Barracks, Kathline with us as well - with their help we had brought down Guardian Drafala, just the three of us. It was a ferocious and very exhilarating fight, and I came away from that battle elated and even more respecting of my legionmates. There was the time when I ran Aetherogenetics Lab with Rock, then another time with Kath and Ghost. The incident where I aggroed the whole room by accident was epic, to say the least: Ghost tanking furiously and Kath raining aetheric arrow storms all over the place as we fought to survive. And back in the day, I had used to run Kaidan HQ with Rurulca and Lathander, a sorcerer and a templar, and we were nothing short of an unstoppable force as we plowed through the Kaidan elites.

Dage, Oscillum, Bahiam and Kex had all ran me through the Lepharist Bastion at some point, languid Loki, mild-mannered and helpful Osc, niceguy Bah and mischievous Kex. And once, Ghost came all the way over Heiron to save me while I fought through the Lepharist Research Center, charging in to assist me in my failing battles. Whitesage and Euwyn had been my mentors in playing my role as a cleric, Whitesage who had taught me some battle tactics and Euwyn who had advised me on gear and weapons.

My legion had done so much for me.

With them by my side, I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of anything, because I had my legion, I had Great Madness at my back. I could take on the world. But what I truly feared was that this legion would fall before I was ready, that what I've dreamt for would never come to pass. I wasn't ready to let go, wasn't ready to watch them leave because they were so much a part of me, my teachers, my mentors, people who would be there for me when I needed them. I couldn't, wouldn't give them up, not now, not yet, not ever.

I belong to Great Madness, and I'm proud of it. We're complete strangers, and yet not- we're legionmates, partners, friends.

More than that, we're a family.

xxxxxxxxxx

My cursor hovered over the 'save' button, and I took a deep breath before clicking.

_New chapter uploaded._ I exhaled and leaned back in my chair, the wheels creaking as I pushed myself a small distance from the computer and spun around in my seat.

Behind me, people crowded my room: Kexypitch, Bahiam, Latona, Kathline, Reaza, Crossloki, Ghostzx, Littlerock and more, their features indistinct but their smiling personalities intact and so vibrantly alive. Blond, brunette, fair, dark, tall, short - it didn't matter. They were here, they were family. I reached for their smiles and laughter in wonder, wanting to touch them, to meet and know them in the flesh... but then I blinked, and they vanished, like they were never there.

And there was nothing but me, my computer and an empty room. Nothing but dreams, and unfulfilled longing. My arm fell back to my side and I sank back into my chair heavily, eyes closing, the brief elation from my vivid imagination already fading. With a sigh, I stood up and shut off the computer. We were so close, and yet so far away.

So, so far.

Several hours later, I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by pages and pages of an old atlas that I'd dug out of my drawers. Drawing little marks on it, it amazed me how many countries we span, how people from all over the globe have met each other in Great Madness.

One day, I'm going to travel the world, and meet them all face to face.

_~FIN~_

**A/N:**

So how'd you like the twist at the end? A little burst of inspiration on my part, and that leads me to the special feature for this chapter: a one-page manga that showcases the last scene! :3 my drawing skills are pretty average, I spent hours on it xD hope you guys like it, I'll put the link to it on my profile.

Also, Latona had made some avatars for the characters, they're awesome. I'll see about getting a link for them.

This chapter represents so much of my feels towards the legion, we've been through so much in these past few weeks and I'm glad to say, we've survived. I'll be posting up the next chapter as soon as I can to make up for the slack, hopefully it'll be all up to date. :D

Special thanks to Kex, Lat and Kath for encouraging me on this gigantic chapter. Also, to the nice asmo (I'll just call you nice asmo from now on xD) , I'm on the NA servers so sadly we'll never meet :s and a cookie for Malchiel of Siel, who recognized my toon in Sanctum (You. Are awesome. Remember that.) and made my day xD

NINJA READERS LET THEM BE AN EXAMPLE TO YOU. LEAVE ME REVIEWS AND I WILL LEAVE YOU COOKIES.

Alright, stay tuned for chapter 5 :D

Peace out,

Kakashiz/ Kaolin


	5. Fourteenth of May

A/N: The chronology for this is a little messed up, I don't really have a lot to build on so I've pulled events that happened after to the front. Though I don't think it'll be too weird of a transition, the events and scenes are decently suitable. This fic is, once again, outdated cuz writer's block and writing this sort of stuff for people I know seem to go hand-in-hand. But hey, it's done.

I chose this title because it was the big day xD I'm really late, aren't I?

Oh, and Ed came back. Hurray for dad :D

"_We are the legion, we are Great Madness!" ~Reaza_

This is for Kex, with all my love, from your Kao-chan.

**Fourteenth of May**

Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like, had I not met him.

He was a sorcerer, a dragon-winged Guardian serving in Ariel's light, a fellow Daeva sworn fealty to the legion of Great Madness. He was bright, funny, playful and mischievous, his pale silver hair always spiked up in a messy and yet rather fashionable hairdo. He was Kexypitch, my legionmate, my friend and confidant, and now my partner for life. He was the other half of me, the one who would always make me laugh, and the one who would happily spend all his time with me and indulge my spontaneous conversations.

Sometimes, I really do wonder.

I truly began to know him that day, when he and Bahiam had generously agreed to assist me in my ventures against Kraterr, King of all fire spirits and the Lord of Flame. Before that, he was only just another legionmate, a sorcerer whom I recognized as one of Great Madness but had not really known in person. Bahiam had agreed to tank for me, and Kex had lent us the entire magnitude of his power as a mage – and with me filling the post of healer, we managed to bring down Kraterr after a long, strenuous battle.

I was, of course, beyond delighted and infinitely grateful, not only to Bah but also to this yet-unknown sorcerer who had joined us in this crazy adventure. I was awed by the extent of his strength as a mage, and in an attempt to get to know him better, I started chatting with him. We began talking, Kex and I, first as legionmates then as close friends, joking and laughing around whenever we would meet. He could always find the most amusing answers to the plainest topics, and I soon found his witty, mischievous attitude fun and engaging, enough to match my own eccentricities and bursts of random spontaneity, and grew to eagerly look forward to our every conversation. He would always play along with whatever I was stringing him on, as I would him – and it would all end in shrieks of laughter as everything boiled down to who could outsmart the other in as funny a way as possible.

As the days went on, we grew closer. After seeing him in action, I'd secretly admired his immense elemental strength and also his lively, jazzy personality. He would assist me in my quests and campaigns, setting time aside to spend with me and lending me the benefit of his magic and his presence to make my work that much easier. We spent so much time together, fighting side-by-side, but more often we would just sit together somewhere in a secluded spot and talk, just the two of us, sometimes for hours on end. There was no end to the things we could talk about, and even though we were different in more ways than one, we soon found out that we were also very alike.

Now, as I kissed my husband goodbye before he left to Katalam for a weeklong mission, I recalled fondly our first kiss, beside a small creek in Verteron.

As close friends then, we loved to steal away to secret places to sit together and talk without outside interference, just admiring the scenery and each other's company. A little alcove in a cliff-wall overlooking the sea, the top of a great rock where we could watch the sunset, a little creek in Verteron's forests, surrounded by greenery and the gurgling of clear, cold water. The creek gradually became a favorite, and soon we went there almost every day, spending every free moment we had with each other, just endlessly talking and laughing away, and eventually beginning to flirt with each other.

And it was there that we took that one step further.

Sitting side-by-side on a boulder, it was a companionable silence as we watched tiny fish dart around in the creek, little flashes of silver against the pebbly brown-black of the riverbed. Kex chuckled as a stick brought along by the current scattered a small school of the fish, then turned towards me, a peaceful smile on his face, a faint sense of anticipation somehow hanging in the air.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured softly, reaching out to lightly brush his thumb across my lips, his gaze reverently fixated upon me. It was almost dream-like, watching everything unfold as if from an outsider's point of view. Long fingers trailed across my skin, and slipped under my chin to gently tilt my head upwards.

I looked up into his coal-black eyes, so bright and vibrant, so close to me. My lips parted ever so slightly – I knew with astounding clarity exactly what was going to happen, and yet I found that I could not, would not resist it. A heartbeat later, his lips settled on mine, feather-light and hesitating, giving me the room to pull away if I wanted. My eyelids fluttered shut at the gentle contact, my fingers inching forward and curling around his wrist. The warmth of his proximity and the fresh mint of his aether wrapped around me, until he was all I was aware of. My heart was racing, a staccato beat against my ribcage as I leaned further into him, lost in the sensation.

When it was clear I would not resist, his hand at my chin moved to the back of my neck, holding me as his kiss became sure, slanting and deliciously firm against my lips.

In the back of my mind I was vaguely aware that this was Kexy, sweet funny handsome Kexy who was kissing me, who had his fingers in my short blue hair and those of his other hand laced between my own. Kexy, who had spent so much time with me, who had made taking this step feel so natural, so perfect. Somewhere along the way, I had fallen for his smile, for his personality, how sweet he was sometimes, how he always seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. I'd thought I had simply admired him. Perhaps, I was wrong.

We broke apart, slowly and reluctantly, the need for air more the cause than anything else, grinning dazedly. A moment later, we both broke into giddy laughter as the elation kicked in, shyness and happiness and tenderness all rolled into one. "Wow," I breathed, laughing breathlessly. "Wow." A blush heated my cheeks as I grinned at Kex, exhilarated and slightly lightheaded.

_ "_So… does this mean we're together now?" he ventured slowly, smiling uncertainly.

"…I guess."

At that, a silly grin crept on his face, and I soon found myself grinning like an idiot as well. And when we flew back to Sanctum, my cheeks still red and a silly schoolboy grin on his face, most the others guessed what had happened. Maybe it was the way our fingers were laced together. Maybe it was the way there seemed to be a happy glow around us. After all the time we spent together, we had finally realized it. We were in love.

Even then, Kex was as sweet as always, if not more. He would always come when I asked for his help; he would provide me with the necessities I needed for gear, he would give me little presents from time to time. He staked his claim and I staked mine – we were soon recognized as a couple by everyone, and we weren't at all shy about it. Even Bahiam had grudgingly acknowledged us being a couple, and regularly lobbed insults at Kex like a close brother would, knowing that Kex wouldn't be offended. Kex would obligingly and cheerfully counter Bah with his own smart-ass and witty ripostes, and often I would die of helpless laughter at the sidelines as I listened in on their little name-calling war.

The day I became a Guardian, it was Kex who went with me on my first visit to Inggison. Excited, I had taken the aerolink with all the haste I could muster, and soon found myself rooted to the ground in sheer amazement as I stared at the sights before me.

"Wow," I breathed as I took in the splendor of the Inggison Illusion Fortress in wonder. It was Sanctum's mirror image of sorts, but where Sanctum was magnificent grandeur, Inggison fortress was radiant, gleaming elegance. It was breathtaking, to say the least, and I just stood there in awe for a full several seconds, drinking in the sight of the hallowed lands of elite Elyos. It was a place I've always dreamed of coming to, and now that I was finally here, I found it rather much to take in.

Kex arrived next to me, having freshly exited through the aerolink connecting Inggison to Sanctum. He smirked at my awed expression, and waited patiently as I surveyed the immediate area with an almost childlike fascination in my eyes.

Excitement overflowing at last, I spun around to face him, eager and impatient to see more. "It's beautiful!" I squealed, bouncing on the balls of my feet, my hands curling around his and bringing them up to swing around for sheer excitement. "It's beautiful it's beautiful oh my gosh this place is awesome!"

Kex grinned, and took me by the hand as we walked around the fortress's main outdoors area, a city square of sorts with buildings arranged in two half circles around the central space. He showed me the essentials, the broker and the merchants and the sort, and I was breathlessly grinning once we finished the rounds. I was awed, and excited that I was finally a Guardian, to be allowed to enter and freely wander around this once restricted district.

"Oh, yeah. Kao-chan, I have something for you. I think you'll like it."

I tore my gaze from the splendid view of the fortress to look in Kex's direction. He was fishing in his cube for something, and then, with an adorably awkward smile on his face, he thrust a bouquet of red roses at me.

A silly grin crept onto my face as I accepted his gift, cradling the mass of roses close and subconsciously burying the lower half of my face in the fragrant petals in a half-hearted attempt to hide my smile. Kex was smiling as well, a splash of pink painted across his cheeks as he chuckled awkwardly, his hand absently scratching at the back of his head. He wasn't expecting it when I flung my arms around his neck, kissing him, the bouquet already in my cube, ready for the vase that I kept in my studio. He stilled for a moment in surprise, then I felt his lips quirk up at the sides against mine, evidently pleased with my response.

Kex was spontaneous, I had to give him that. A warm glow of happiness spread throughout me as I kissed him again, his hands automatically finding their places on both sides of my waist.

Biting my lower lip in an effort to control my smile, I leaned away from him, and summoned my wings, nearly whacking him in the face with my feathers in my haste. I shot him an apologetic grin, and ran for the edge of the fortress's platforms. There was one more thing left to try.

With a whoop, I dived forward into a gust of wind - the windstreams! The blast of air filled my wings immediately and I shot forward with an excited yell. The vortex of air was violently powerful, and it propelled me forward twice as fast as I could ever fly. It was exhilarating, and after several minutes the windstream ended. I stumbled to a stop at the base of a giant tree (which, as I later learned, was Taloc's Hollow), then, as I caught my breath, Kex burst out of the windstream behind me. I turned to face him with a toothy grin and windswept hair, thoroughly enjoying my experience of Inggison in person. Feeling spontaneous as well, I skipped forward to kiss him again, and Kex's mischievous expression softened as his thumb came up to tenderly stroke across my cheek.

Spotting another windstream, I ran towards it expectantly and jumped, flaring my wings. The explosion of air swept me away, and I let out another excited whoop as I shot across the sky. Though this time it ended far too soon, and I found myself ejected once again at the base of the giant tree, Kex looking thoroughly amused as he stood aside to let me land.

"It's the same windstream," he stated, smirking as I skipped forwards towards him. "I've realized," I replied dryly, then settled myself in his arms, resting my head on his collarbone with a satisfied sigh. Inggison was literally everything I'd imagined, and my curiosity was sated. For now.

Kex laughed again, softly, and nudged at my face with his nose, prompting me to lift my head. His searching lips moved down my nose in a slow, meandering path, before finally finding my mouth in gentle kiss. My fingers curled into his collar happily. I slipped my hand into his as we prepared to head back, and our fingers remained interlocked even as we leisurely flew back to Inggison Illusion fortress.

Sometimes, we would run missions together with Kathline, my adopted big sister, and her lover Vipermage – the both of us adored our men, both powerful sorcerers, and as I was the youngest of all of them it often fell to Viper to lead the party. Kath and occasionally Kex would take it upon themselves to protect me, and I as a cleric would try my best to assist them on the battlefield, mending their wounds and making sure none of them died. We were a good team, and even though sometimes we would fail due to my inexperience and inability to keep pace, it was laughed off, forgiven and forgotten soon enough.

Once, we went in to infiltrate Dark Poeta, the four of us and an assassin from Great Madness, Elsine. It was not easy, and I had to stick close to Kath and Kex, trying to show as little vulnerability as possible. The Balaur were no easy adversaries, and as we pushed on through the blackened shell of Poeta, it was increasingly harder to heal and hold my own against the hordes of Balaur that assaulted our little party. I had to hand it to my guardians, though – Kath, Viper and Kex did a pretty good job of covering for me and Elsine, the two rookies in their midst.

The challenges were when several Balaur spotted us all at once. Without a tank with us, it was relatively difficult to manage so many of them at once, and Viper, being the most experienced Daeva among us, was forced to lead and tank for the rest of us. Elsine was right beside him, helping as much as she could, and in the time taken for Kath and Kex to focus-fire down the Balaur, I was to make sure Viper and Sine were able to stay on their feet throughout the battle. We pulled through several close scuffles in that way, but then nothing always works the way one would hope or expect it to.

It was another massive group battle, with almost half a dozen of those monstrous Balaur clustered around Viper. The sorcerer himself had his teeth gritted as he weaved around them, trying to keep their attention and to hang on until Kex and Kath could blast them down. Elsine helped as well, distracting those that Viper was unable to hold. It was a challenge for me as a healer to keep them both alive, as neither of them were suited for sustaining long-term damage. I poured more and more healing magic into them, sealing their cuts, fixing bruises and fractures almost as soon as they were inflicted. It demanded my utter concentration.

As I was focusing on healing, a sudden roar very close behind me – closer than was remotely comfortable – made me whip my head around in shock. A Balaur – no, four Balaur surrounded me, looming over me, curved, crude blades gleaming a deadly silver alongside their serrated yellow fangs. Their stench was overwhelming and their proximity terrifying, especially to a relatively fresh-faced cleric accustomed to solely behind-the-lines support.

To describe it is to take time, and yet it all happened within the space of 5 seconds. I screamed, and threw up my aetheric shield, a reflex that had been drilled in me since the early years of priest training. Whatever happens, the cleric must stay alive, for all but the best teams would more likely than not be doomed to failure without one.

And not a moment too soon.

Wickedly honed blades scraped across the surface of my shield, powerful and crushingly heavy. It would have killed me instantly, cleaving my head from my shoulders if not for the shield. Even so, I could not hold my shield for long – I knew not the finer points of shield-casting, and the Balaur were devastatingly strong. They knew their job – a twist of a dagger with its tip embedded in the shield, and an ominous crack appeared on the translucent gold surface.

I panicked, trying to escape from them, to put distance between them and myself, but there was no way out. They had hemmed me in from all sides, and even as my shield shattered, barely having bought me several seconds, I could find no way out. A terrified scream rose from my throat as I cowered under the looming figures around me, the shield strapped to my back forgotten in the chaos of the moment, arms raised in instinctive self-defense against those blades that would surely rip me apart-

Later, Kex would tell me how he had heard my scream, how he had spun around in horror to see me surrounded by Balaur. How he had yelled my name, frantic and fearful as he sprinted for me as fast as his legs would carry him, Viper and Kath hard on his heels. What I knew was that suddenly someone crashed into me, wrapping me in his arms and the full span of his iridescent dragon wings, shielding me, enveloping me in a familiar presence and the scent of fresh mint.

Explosions erupted all around us, snarls and growls deafeningly loud as Kath and Viper fought off the Balaur. A grunt of pain escaped Kex as he seemingly tried to cover all of me with his own self, crushing me to his chest tightly enough to hurt. A few moments later, the Balaur lay dead at Kath and Viper's feet, my big sister glaring contemptuously at them.

Finally Kex released his vicegrip on me, and as I pulled away, pale and still in shock, the sorcerer staggered slightly, his hands trembling.

"Kexy, your back..." At Kath's stricken words he turned his head with an effort, and we both saw the price he had paid for so recklessly attempting to protect me. His back was shredded. Several grisly gashes of red gaped in the back of his robes, stretching down the entire length of his back. Bloodstained ribbons of cloth swayed with the wind, and the crimson patch on his robes grew with every passing moment. Kex, as a sorcerer, wore no armor at all, and his face was ghostly pale as his legs gave out and he sank to his knees.

"Kex!" Horrified, I ran towards him, healing aether already surging to my command as I dropped down next to him and started mending the gash. His wings were torn as well, several bloody, tattered gaps left in between the frames. In his haste he hadn't put up his aetheric shield, and it had cost him dearly.

I slipped into my medic mode. Without outside interference, it was relatively easy for a field combat medic to work. At my prompting the open wounds on his back sealed together seamlessly, and I repaired his wings in pretty much the same manner. Some of the tenseness left him as the pain was relieved, but he still looked a little sick.

Ceasing the flow of aether, I hugged him tightly, no words capable of expressing my emotions then. After a moment he returned the embrace, and we both just sat there for a while, him for a brief rest and me trying to calm down. We'd both scared the crap out of each other. "Kex, you idiot. You know you can't tank," I murmured softly, my head resting on his collarbone. I heard him huff faintly in reply, and knew he was smiling. "I can't have them hurting my girl, now could I?" he murmured quietly in return, a ghost of his signature mischievous grin playing about his lips. "I knew I'd be fine. Because I have you."

I couldn't help it, I just huffed in an imitation of a tender, yet exasperated laugh, then leaned up to press a kiss to my lover's lips. He chuckled as well, stroking the back of my head, then got to his feet, pulling me after him.

Infiltration of Dark Poeta would continue. Later, we would have pushed in all the way only to fall to the leader of the Balaur, but we returned comforted in the knowledge that we had at least whittled away greatly at the Balaurean forces. It was a job for another day, and both Elsine and I had learnt much from it.

More days passed, and it was already almost second nature how we showed our affection to each other. I never really liked it when he had to go away for long periods of time for missions – he _was _a higher-ranking Daeva after all, and I tended to get frustrated knowing that I couldn't go with him. I would work hard on improving, but there was only so much I could do in the meantime.

That day, I went with Kex to Terminon Landing to see him off - he and several others were to infiltrate a Balaur warship, the dredgion, a place where many had gone and few had returned. He would be gone for an unspecified period of time, and there was no guarantee that he'd even return. I was unwilling to watch him go, childishly unwilling to trust him to another cleric, absurd as that sounded, and yet I would not demand him to stay - this was his duty, our duty as Daevas of Sanctum, to keep the Balaur in check. He would go, and I would watch, however little the idea appealed to me. Kex was powerful. I had faith in him that he would come back safely. I would not let myself imagine otherwise.

At the fortress, at the very edge of the landing, many were already unfurling their wings, snow-white feathers spread wide and ready to go. And yet Kex hesitated.

Spinning around, he cupped my face in his hands, rested his forehead on mine. "Marry me," he breathed, even as my hands rose to grasp the front of his robes out of habit. I stilled, stunned - his eyes were bright with unshed tears, almost desperate even, and I found my vision blurring as well.

"This is hardly the time," I laughed tearfully, breathing in his scent, the scent of spices and fresh mint.

"There isn't any better time, Kao-chan," he murmured, his thumb brushing across my lips tenderly as he smiled faintly. "Will you?"

"I will," I whispered, gazing deeply into those coal-black eyes of his that held so much emotion. "Yes, I will."

He smiled fully then, even as his teammates were hollering at him to go. Crushing his lips to mine in one last, passionate kiss, his great dragon wings snapped to their full glorious span and he pulled away, heavy wingbeats propelling him into the air.

I watched him disappear into the darkness, the ghost of his touch still lingering on my skin, his unvoiced request crystal clear in my mind.

_Wait for me._

He returned, a month later, weary and battered, but victorious. Surveillance ops had reported the dredgion being blown apart as was intended, signifying success of the strike team's efforts. As soon as I heard the reports, I went to Terminon to await his return. When I saw several sets of wings glimmering in the darkness of the abyss, Kex's iridescent blue-green wings among them, I ran to meet him as he landed, flinging my arms around his neck and embracing him tightly. My elation got to him as well, and he spun me around and kissed me, overjoyed as we were to be reunited.

Right after his debriefing, outside on the docks of Terminon Landing, Kex took my hand and dropped to one knee. I was mildly amused at his haste, though I had to say I wasn't entirely disapproving of it.

"I, Kexypitch Rizkaen, ask you, Kaolin Caerexxe, for your hand in marriage." His eyes were serious, even though a small smile quirked up the edge of his lips. Formalities in its entirety, for he already knew what my answer would be.

"I accept," I replied, unable to help the bright smile lighting up my face as well. Kex kissed the back of my hand and straightened, the mischievous glint back in his eyes.

"Let's go break the news to Great Madness, eh?"

I started laughing, and obligingly followed as he ran for the teleporter, imagining the faces of all the people in our legion when they knew about our engagement.

The wedding was a boisterous affair, as the guests were for the most part members of our legion, Great Madness, who had a reputation befitting our name. Kathline and Latona were my bridesmaids, and they were the ones who helped me decide on my wedding dress – I absolutely refused to go anywhere near the traditional great layered skirts that would make me look like a giant pastry cake. Instead, I chose a shoulder-less, slim fitting silk gown with soft skirts that billowed weightlessly behind me, somewhat similar to the white chiton that I usually wore. I was comfortable in it, it was one of the main reasons why I chose it.

I didn't know exactly what the men had done to Kex for his bachelor party, only that it apparently involved fishnet stockings and a lot of whipped cream. Whatever it was, none of the men were about to tell me, and Latona, the only female in on the secret, had been laughing too hard to form half a coherent sentence. In the end I decided that, for the sake of Kex's dignity in my eyes, I'd rather not know the details.

On the day of the wedding, Kath and Lat were the ones that did me up 'all nice and pretty for your soon-to-be husband's viewing pleasure', as Lat put it, with a cheeky smile on her face. My short hair was done up as much as short hair allowed, braided and weaved in with daisies white as snow. It was a simple sort of beauty, the only splash of extravagant color being the bouquet of roses I held in my gloved hands.

Daevas had no family except their legion – Ed was the one that came with me as my adopted dad, and walked me down the aisle. I beamed at him through my veil, and he grinned back at me fondly. "I'd pat your head," he murmured, grinning. "But then I'd probably mess up your hair."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "Well, we can't have that, now can we? My bridesmaids would be terribly mad to see their hard work gone to waste."

We both glanced behind us to see Kath and Latona aiming pointed warning glares at Ed, apparently having overheard our conversation. We turned back to face the front, Ed laughing softly to himself. "I'll say," he snorted faintly.

Kex was waiting at the altar, all suited up in a clean-cut black tuxedo. Even in full formalwear he could still pull off his relaxed, mischievous aura, if anything he looked even more suave in a shirt and coat that matched and contrasted perfectly with his silver hair. He was smiling as I let go of Ed's arm to grasp his. The gladiator brushed across him casually on his way to the best man's side of the altar. "You take good care of her, man," he muttered under his breath.

"Aye aye, sir," Kex replied in an undertone, smirking. Ed bumped his shoulder and moved to stand beside Bahiam, Kex's best man, Latona and Kath standing next to me on my side.

Jucleas began with the vows, and Kex inconspicuously leaned closer to whisper in my ear.

"I still don't think this shows enough skin," he whispered cheekily. "That blue bikini of yours would have looked better."

I pinched his upper arm hard in reply and he winced, shooting me a mock-baleful look. Beside him, Bahiam snorted faintly, one hand moving up to hide it as a cough. I smiled sweetly back at Kex, laughing silently at his expression. After that we turned our attention back to Jucleas, both of us trying hard to keep a straight face.

"-for as long as you both shall live?" he asked, looking up from the tome in his hands. Kex schooled his expression instantly.

"I do," he answered, clearly and without hesitation, and I echoed him a moment after.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. May you fly together in Ariel's light from this day forth."

Loud cheers and whistles came from the watching guests as Kex slipped the ring around my finger, then flipped my veil open. In one smooth motion he swept me into his arms, ducking his head so he could kiss me. Tears of joy clouded my vision and I kissed him back wholeheartedly, my friend, my lover and now my partner for life.

We swept down the aisle hand-in-hand, applause and cheers of congratulations reaching us as we passed by. Right before we reached the door, Latona, who had been following me, whispered loudly on purpose to everyone within earshot. "They're gonna do the do tonight," she stage-whispered, earning sniggers from most of the people who heard. I promptly chucked the nearest object – which happened to be my bouquet – at her and she ducked, cackling evilly. The bouquet flew right over her head and landed in Kathline's arms.

Having been making eyes at Viper, the ranger looked down at the bouquet in her hands in utter bewilderment. Sharing a glance with the mage in question, they both coughed in embarrassment and looked the other way, faces flaming. Latona started clapping in mischievous delight and moved away to tease Kath about it, and in that brief window of time Kex and I took the chance to escape outside. She'd probably be back, though. We _were _the newlyweds.

We emerged into the bright afternoon sun, my fingers curled around Kex's arm as a proud smile lit up his handsome face. With a flourish and a pull of aether, my now-husband summoned an illusion gate before us.

Then, to my surprise and delight, he bent over and scooped me into his arms before leaping through the gate, my squeak of exclamation prompting a mischievous smirk to appear on his face. "I didn't know I could do that," he remarked, mildly surprised and amused himself as my fingers reflexively clutched at the front of his tux.

We arrived at Oriel - Kex lost his footing as he landed, and the both of us tumbled in a messy heap on the wooden floorboards before his - our - studio.

"You can't," I said tartly in reply, then started laughing.

"Well, it's the thought that counts," he laughed as well, getting up and pulling me to my feet after him. "And I've always wanted to do that."

I grinned. "Well, now you know why you can't," I teased, slipping my hand into his and interlacing our fingers. Hand-in-hand, we strode into the studio.

"I'll work out more," he joked, chuckling. Smiling, I caught his jaw gently and pulled him down for a kiss. Without missing a beat, he caught my waist and held me close, returning the affectionate act. It was tender and sweet, and full of blissful happiness.

Then, his wandering fingers found the zipper on the back of my bodice. His faint smirk against my lips was the only warning I got, before he pulled it all the way down my back in one swift motion. I yelped in surprise and reflexively hugged the bodice to myself, a flaming red blush coloring my cheeks.

He smirked, the fingers of his other hand stroking my hair as he rested his forehead on mine to gaze deeply into my eyes. "Relax... wife," he murmured tenderly, lips quirking up at one end. Pressing his lips to mine, he kissed me again, hot and passionate this time as he slowly eased my hands from my sides.

"Now," he murmured, the bass of his voice holding an edge of indecent mischief to it. "What was that Latona said just now?"

xxxxxxx

A/N:

Aaand it's done! ^^ Dunno really what to say, except Malchiel, I hate you for pushing silver coins back to 45k. There goes my profits. I want my cookie back. Nah, jk xD

"_I see London _

_I see France_

_I see waifu's…_

_Wedding fic plans!" ~Kex_

Alright, cya guys next chapter :D Read and review!

Peace out,

Kaolin/Kakashiz


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